Lies in the Past, Danger in the Future
by Zorback32
Summary: Hinata lost everything that day. What she was doing with her life now could hardly be called living, in fact a better phrase would be simply not dying. It did not matter that she was recognized as heroine, it did not matter everyone adored her. Nothing mattered anymore. However a certain Sage offers her a chance to make everything right but what will Hinata sacrifice in return?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So here it is the long awaited first chapter to my rewrite of The Pasts Future! Lots of stuff has changed particularly this chapter. I've added a certain song I'd like you guys to listen to as you read the last half of the chapter. Or if you have a song you like to listen to when you read something sad use that. It needs to be an emotional song to get the feel for what I'm writing. Now you don't have to but I found it adds a certain element of emotion as you read. Please enjoy and review! After this my A/N will be at the end of the chapters like normal.**

 **As for the song, the YouTube link is: watch?v=wEWF2xh5E8s – and it should start playing when Sakura says she can't stop the chakra virus.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything Naruto related. This is purely a hobby.**

x-x

 **Chapter 1: Specters of the Past**

The moment the front door to her house opened, Sakura Uchiha knew there was going to be trouble. She felt an uncomfortable shift in the atmosphere of her home as her husband, a former missing-nin named Sasuke, walked inside and sat across from her at the kitchen table, and braced herself for another round of fighting. Having known Sasuke since she they were children, Sakura was well accustomed to him being moody. Even on his best days, it was just who he was. Though in the years since his return to Konoha, he had mellowed out and grown more friendly, but each year, on this day, his behavior would become very unpleasant and she had to put up with the worst of it. She hated that Sasuke still felt this way, hated that she couldn't do anything to help him with his guilt and depression and that every time she tried, they ended up fighting.

Today marked the fourth anniversary of the Fourth Shinobi World War, a war which had lasted just three days but cost the lives of over sixty thousand ninja and samurai from all of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. However, that war had also ushered in the beginning of a new age for the continent. For the first time since the era of the Rikudō Sennin (Sage of Six Paths) ended roughly nine hundred years ago, the Five Great Shinobi Nations and the many lesser nations bordering them were at peace. The entire continent was experiencing a period of rapid technological growth, with the development of Konohagakure no Sato (the Village Hidden by Tree Leaves) standing out the most, as anyone walking through the streets of the old village could see the many skyscrapers being constructed on top of Hokage Mountain or indulge in the large shopping district which was always busy. The economy was flourishing in this time of peace.

All across the nations, there was widespread talk among both the shinobi and civilian populations about dissolving the current hidden village system and uniting the nations into one. The alliance between the Five Great Shinobi Nations had been forged in response to the threat of Akatsuki, a terrorist organization which had acquired the means to enslave and destroy the entire human race, but although the threat has ended, the alliance still remains and has only grown stronger. In the most recent Five Kage Summit, the military leaders of the hidden villages—Sixth Hokage Kakashi Hatake, Fifth Kakekage Gaara, Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumī, Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki, and Fourth Raikage A—entertained and addressed the discussions and debates which were happening across the continent. If popular opinion continued to support a deeper unity, it would only be a matter of time before the positions of Kage and Daimyō were dissolved and a new, experimental government was created to regulate the entire continent. The leaders of the future would no longer be chosen with the old traditions, but by the people directly. And none of the five Kage were opposed to the idea. Their world was changing so much, and they welcomed this change.

But as much as the world was changing, there were many ways in which it stayed the same. Sasuke was the main example of this in Sakura's life. Even though he'd been redeemed, he could still be very ruthless while he was carrying out a mission. About a year after the war ended and he was pardoned for his high crimes against the Shinobi Nations, he'd left the village on a long-term mission to seek out and deal with threats to the new peace, and to locate clues about the history of Princess Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and ensure she could never be reborn again. Another year later, Sasuke was forced to return to the village when one of those threats, a survivor of the Ōtsutsuki Clan named Toneri, attacked the Hyūga Clan and abducted Hinata Hyūga, then dislodged the moon from orbit. Sasuke had returned to Konoha with a badly wounded Hiashi in tow, and after saving the village from a large meteor, was sent through a portal which led directly to the moon's core. Sasuke's new mission from Kakashi was to stop Toneri from crashing the moon into the earth and rescue the former heiress of the Hyūga. It was only thanks to his Rinnegan, bestowed upon him by the Rikudō Sennin at the climax of the Fourth Shinobi World War, that he succeeded. Sakura had also been sent on the rescue mission, and she'd been forced to witness Sasuke run Toneri through with the Sword of Kusanagi after the last Uchiha overpowered the last Ōtsutsuki in a battle that nearly destroyed the moon. Seeing firsthand that this part of Sasuke hadn't changed since he started walking the road to redemption deeply disturbed Sakura.

After the Moon Crisis, Sasuke started opening up to Sakura more, albeit slowly, and only after Hinata, using her one chance to do so, pleaded with Sasuke. It still took several months before their relationship gained any sense of normalcy as Sasuke continued to struggle with his inner demons, and almost a full year before he knew for certain that he needed Sakura to stay in his life.

The wedding ceremony for Sasuke and Sakura last November was, by necessity small and attended only by a handful of people, namely Ino, Kakashi, Sasuke's former teammates Jūgo, Suigetsu and Karin, and Sakura's parents Kizashi and Mebuki. As for his proposal, Sasuke could never hear the end of Ino's displeasure after she witnessed it. All Sasuke had done was quietly put the engagement ring in Sakura's hand while she and Ino were working at Konoha Hospital. But at least he'd had the decency to blush as he walked away.

By no means was their marriage a happy one. It had started off that way, but after a few months it was marred by the specters of their past, just like everything else in their lives. And those specters were never more persistent than on this day.

"How was your day, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, attempting to maintain a pleasant tone as long as the situation would allow.

"Do you really need to ask that, Sakura?" Sasuke replied. After everything they had been through together, he at least tried to be his best around his wife. It was the least he could do for her.

"Of course I do. Especially today," Sakura added as she got up, leaned against Sasuke's chair and wrapped her arms around him.

Sasuke sighed and let himself revel in the small measure of comfort he was able to feel in his wife's embrace. "Why don't you tell me about your day, first?"

"Busy, but pretty good. Karui-san had to come in for a prenatal check up today. She and Chōji are expecting." Sakura frowned as soon as she finished speaking. Most of her friends from the former Konoha Eleven were building their own families now, but Sakura wasn't able to do the same yet, but not for lack of trying, at least on her end. She was adamant about helping Sasuke restart the Uchiha Clan, now that the honor of his clan had been restored, but Sasuke didn't feel like he was ready for that yet. He felt he carried the weight of too many sins, and did not want those sins to be passed down to the next generation. He did not want his future family to have to suffer like Naruto had suffered.

Sasuke suddenly felt sick. The very thought of his best friend and everything that had happened was a deadly poison for his tainted soul. Sakura saw her husband's expression change and had to force a smile, unable to do much else.

"You were thinking about Naruto just now," Sakura observed, caressing his cheek. It was not a question. Sasuke reluctantly nodded, eliciting a sigh from his wife. "Why don't we go out on a date? Try to take our minds off all this."

"I know what you're planning, Sakura. We've been over this several times now."

"Come on, Sasuke-kun, hear me out, okay? We really need a night out, for your sake. Let's get ourselves a nice dinner, then go to the new theater to catch a late night movie, and then maybe we'll do something else to relieve your stress. Between all of these long-term missions and political stuff Kakashi-sensei has you doing, you're overworked. You deserve a break." It was true, whenever Sasuke wasn't sent out to address a possible threat to the peace they fought so hard to attain, most of his days were spent advising the Five Kage and several Daimyō as they worked to dismantle the current hidden village system and replace it with something better. It was the realization of a revolution Sasuke had once planned, but in the way Naruto would have wanted.

During his many sessions with the current leaders, offering them his counsel, Sasuke Uchiha had been repeatedly offered a position in the new government, several times even being offered one that would effectively give him more influence than the Kage or Daimyō had ever had. Each and every time, Sasuke turned down the offer, saying he was content to simply act as a mediator. No one would say it, but each time Sasuke rejected their offers, they were greatly relieved. Everyone knew the only reason Sasuke even received the offers was due to the blind faith Naruto had had in him. Otherwise they would have no reason to trust someone who was once one of Konoha's most infamous traitors.

Maybe Sakura was right, maybe he was pushing himself just a little bit too hard. Sasuke was just about to give in to her pestering until she added, "We could even ask Hinata if she—"

"That's _enough,_ Sakura!" Sasuke yelled, roughly grabbing her hand. Sakura had gone way too far this time.

"Why are you being like this?" Sakura yelled back, her eyes becoming moist with tears. "You know I'm only trying to help!"

Sasuke sighed and pulled her into a hug. He had made her cry yet again, and loathed himself more for it. "I know, but you remember what today is, right? We can't do it, not today, and especially not with her."

"Why not? Why can't we learn to enjoy what we have? Why can't we build a family and give our children a better life without letting the past rule us?" Tears streamed down Sakura's face as she continued to question why Sasuke wouldn't let go. For the briefest moment, Sasuke was taken aback by her words. Yes, he truly hated being the cause of her sorrow, and sometimes he couldn't understand why she would still let herself be dragged down by his demons.

Sasuke let go of her and wiped the tears off her cheeks while giving her a stern look. "The Hyūga Clan would never allow it. Allowing Hinata to spend time with us, that is. You know as well as I do how much they hate me, how little regard they have for my immunity. Once I step within one hundred meters of either the complex or Hinata, they won't rest until they've chased me off the planet." The last part was a bit of an exaggeration, but the bottom line was, right after the war had ended, Hiashi had convinced Tsunade during her last days as Hokage to place a restraining order on the last Uchiha. The Hyūga Clan's hate for the Uchiha was still alive and well, and had only grown stronger since the war. As clan head, Hiashi could not guarantee that his kinsmen would not try to attack Sasuke if he were to approach Hinata, or any other Hyūga. He had made it clear that their clan would never forgive the atrocities for which Sasuke was responsible, directly or otherwise. Any interaction between the Uchiha and the Hyūga had the risk of turning into an altercation, which would end badly. Well, badly for the Hyūga, that is; Hiashi knew his clan would never be able to physically harm Sasuke, as the Uchiha had become the most powerful human alive. But this was a matter of honor for the Hyūga. Naruto's suffering from the actions of Sasuke had translated into Hinata's suffering, and they could not, and would not forgive that.

"And before you ask me why it has to be today, Sakura, why it can't be just the two of us going out on a date, take another look around," Sasuke continued after sitting back down, though his voice was still raised and his Sharingan and Rinnegan were now activated. He needed Sakura to understand the gravity of the situation. "How many of your friends do you see going out and enjoying themselves today? How would it look if we decided to ignore that? Sakura, I know you're trying to be positive about this, but our world just doesn't work that way. If we did what you're asking of me, it would look like we're dishonoring Naruto, not to mention Hinata."

"But aren't we already dishonoring Naruto by living in sorrow? Wouldn't Naruto want us to be happy?" Sakura argued.

"Of course he would." Sasuke sighed. "But I don't deserve to be happy. I would be truly heartless to accept happiness when the one person who deserves that happiness drowns in misery. Besides..." Sasuke let his voice trail off for a moment, appearing lost in thought. A single tear slid down his cheek. "Naruto was always good at wearing his emotions on his sleeves, and when he died, he was anything but happy..."

x-x

These days, Hinata mostly kept to herself, rarely venturing outside the Hyūga complex and when she did, it was only to visit the hospital or the Memorial Stone, though every now and then she felt a strange presence when she went to the latter destination. Ever since the war ended, she sunk into a deep depression and often suffered from nightmares. Tsunade had been forced to take her off the active ninja roster permanently and keep her under surveillance, fearing that she might try to take her own life.

Now a civilian, Hinata only had two roles to play. Well, three actually, since every now and then her former jōnin sensei, Kurenai Sarutobi, would visit her at the complex and ask her to babysit Mirai.

One of her roles at the complex was assisting her father with managing Hyūga affairs; she really only helped with the menial tasks such as paperwork, but it helped her try to maintain a stronger bond with him. The other was knitting. It didn't matter what else was going on; once she picked up the yarn and knitting pins, she couldn't stop until the item of clothing she was knitting was finished. This was her coping mechanism, how she let her mind wander away from the traumas she suffered.

The clothes Hinata knit were very popular among the villagers, especially during the winter months. The clothing stores the Hyūga Clan supported in Konoha always had the best business anywhere in the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Even though she was a civilian now, Hinata received a steady stream of income from the royalties she received for her knit clothes.

Everyone treated Hinata more kindly now than they once had, but she hated it. She hated that they were more careful around her, treating her delicately, as though she was as fragile as one of the many fine pieces of china in her family's kitchen. She hated that they thought she would be so easy to break.

 _'Everyone still thinks I'm weak,'_ Hinata thought while she focused on the red scarf she was close to finishing, one of many she had knit since Naruto's death, and like the others, it would eventually be left at the Memorial Stone the next time she visited. _'They just show it in a different way.'_ Though deep down, she knew her fellow clan members were just doing their best to help her, but that only made her feelings worse!

Or maybe she had just cut herself off from the rest of the world too completely to know the difference between true compassion and veiled contempt anymore?

Hinata sighed, feeling the aches in her lower back. Setting down the unfinished scarf and her knitting pins and yarn and placing them inside her purse, she brushed back a few locks of her midnight blue hair, which she'd cut short and kept that way for the past four years, and stood up from her chair and performed a few light stretches.

 _'Maybe I should take a short walk before I visit Naruto-kun.'_ Hinata picked up her purse and slid open the door to her bedroom chamber. She didn't make it three steps out before she was confronted.

"Onē-sama! Where are you going?" a voice asked. Hinata turned around to find her younger sister, Hanabi, standing straight and looking her in the eye. The years since the war had been much kinder for Hanabi than they had Hinata. Hanabi was now only a few centimeters shorter than her elder sister, and her brown hair stretched down to her lower back. Whereas Hinata became reclusive, Hanabi was more outgoing, and had bonded with the Konohamaru Corps and with most of Hinata's friends. Sometimes Hanabi would even help the young Sarutobi who saw Naruto as a big brother figure, and his teammates, with one of their pranks whenever they were in the mood.

"Hanabi," Hinata said plainly. "I just needed to take a walk."

"Does it have to be now, Onē-sama? It's getting late. Everyone will be worried." Hanabi did not like the way Hinata informed her that she was headed out. In their younger days, Hinata had been the overprotective one, sacrificing everything for her sister's sake, but now, their roles had reversed, and Hanabi had taken it upon herself to fill the role Neji once had as her protector.

When Hinata didn't respond, as she seemed to take offense to Hanabi reminding her of their worry, Hanabi added, "I'll join you. I need to get out of this place, too."

"No, no, Hanabi!" Hinata objected, shaking her head violently. "Please don't trouble yourself. I'll be fine."

But Hanabi stood firm on the issue. "Onē-sama, I must insist—"

 _"I'll be fine!"_ Hinata yelled vehemently, and then ran off, stunning Hanabi with her abrupt departure.

"Onē-sama, wait! Onē-sama?" Hanabi tried calling, but there was no response. "Dammit!" she cursed, punching the wall to her right. She was also more willing to show her emotions than the other Hyūga in her clan, including her own sister. The closer she tried to get to Hinata, the further Hinata pushed herself away. Hinata wouldn't open up, wouldn't tell anyone what troubled her even though everyone already knew. She kept everything bottled up inside. Neither Hanabi, nor anyone else in their clan aside from Hiashi, had seen Hinata grieve over the loss of Naruto, who was Hinata's personal hero and the savior of the Hyūga Clan long before he became the hero of the shinobi world.

Although sometimes, Hanabi would hear Hinata's wailing pierce through the walls of the complex at the darkest hours of the night, and when it happened, her room was always sealed shut, just like her heart seemed to be.

 _'Is there anything I can do to help you, Onē-sama? Is there anything you'll_ let _me do to help?'_ Hanabi had not been on the battlefield; she had been too young to be enlisted in the war. But she had overheard the entire story from Sakura, and despaired that Hinata was too far lost in her pain...

x-x

(Four years ago)

Naruto and Sasuke had lost all sense of time, keeping only their sense of urgency, in this alternate dimension. The pair lunged at their foe, the most dangerous adversary they had ever faced in their seventeen years of life, but to no avail. The fight was rigged against them like never before. Not once had they imagined when the war started that they would have to fight against the progenitor of chakra, the corrupted Rabbit Goddess herself—Princess Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, to save the entire human race from extinction.

While they knew it had not even been an hour before they were imparted with the truth, it felt like an eternity since Naruto and Sasuke learned from the ascended, time-wandering spirit of Kaguya's oldest son, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki aka the Sage of Six Paths, that the critical events of the past millennium—including the blood feud between the descendants of Hagoromo, the corruption of Akatsuki, and the Fourth Shinobi World War—had all been manipulated by the artificial human called Black Zetsu, with the singular purpose of facilitating the rebirth of Kaguya.

Though there were many setbacks and twists in Black Zetsu's plan, the homunculus born of Kaguya's will ultimately succeeded in his objective. Madara managed to capture and subdue all nine of the bijū (tailed beasts), recreating the Jūbi (Ten-Tails). He then cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi, trapping everyone on the planet inside the roots of the Shinjū (God Tree) through the Divine Deep Forest Emergence and locking them away in an endless genjutsu that would only stop once the victims had been drained of all their chakra and life force and mutated into an army of White Zetsu. Only the members of Team Seven: Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi—along with Obito, who was possessed by Black Zetsu, and the reanimated former Hokages of Konoha, who were immune to the Infinite Tsukuyomi since they had no life force—escaped the deadly red light reflected off the moon. And then, just when Madara began gloating, claiming that he had turned hell into heaven and saved the world from itself, Black Zetsu stabbed Madara in the back, allowing Kaguya to overpower him and finally manifest herself.

After that, Kaguya warped them all into another dimension, one covered in lava, leaving only the zombiefied Hokages behind in their world. Shortly after they were warped out of this dimension and into one comprised of mountain glaciers, Obito finally died from the side effects of using the Gedō Art of Rinne Rebirth, which Black Zetsu had forced him to use to resurrect Madara; however, Obito managed to transfer all of his chakra to Kakashi, allowing his former friend temporary access to both of his Mangekyō Sharingan and all of his visual powers. But even with this parting gift, the battle to seal away Kaguya was extremely one-sided in her favor.

The worst part of it all was knowing that if Madara had retained control, their chances of victory would be even worse than they are currently.

"Damn it!" Sasuke yelled. "She keeps changing the dimensions or slipping through a portal each time we get close!"

"Geez, this is actually getting really annoying!" Naruto yelled, feeling even more frustrated than Sasuke as one of his Truthseeker Orbs blocked an All-Killing Ash Bone launched from the palm of Kaguya's left hand, negating the deadly Kekkei Mōra ninjutsu which, had it hit, would have rapidly corroded his body until it was reduced to mere ashes in the wind. "Why can't these cowards fight us face-to-face?"

"You were _still_ getting your ass kicked even when they chose to fight you the way you wanted," the Uchiha quipped. Naruto was about to deliver a comeback, but then Sasuke detected Kaguya emerging from another rift she opened with Yomotsu Hirasaka, with another All-Killing Ash Bone sprouting from her hand ready to impale the Uzumaki from behind. Sasuke slammed Naruto face-first into the sand (they were currently fighting inside a desert dimension) just in time to push him out of the attack's way. Kaguya then swiped the bone at Sasuke, but his Perfect Susanoo blocked the hit, and pushed the Rabbit Goddess back by launching an arrow imbued with Inferno Style: Flame Control.

"What's the big idea, Sasuke?" Naruto shouted, coughing sand out of his mouth as he pushed himself back to his feet.

"I just saved your life, dumbass!"

"Both of you, stop bickering!" Sakura yelled at them. "If you can't get your acts together just this once, everyone will die!"

"What the hell are we supposed to do, Sakura-chan?" Naruto snapped at her. "Nothing we've tried is working! Not even my Sexy Reverse Harem Jutsu or Super Tailed Beast Rasenshuriken stopped her long enough for us to seal her, y'know!"

"It looks like we only have one option to trap Kaguya and seal her away," Kakashi cut in, having used the time his students were arguing amongst themselves to formulate a plan. "I'm going to attempt to synchronize my Sharingan to Kaguya's dimension hopping, so we'll all arrive in the same dimension as her when she teleports. Our window of opportunity will only stay open for a few seconds. Sakura, you and I will provide the distraction and force Kaguya to jump. Once she does, and I connect us to her new dimension with Kamui, Naruto and Sasuke will take the chance to seal her before she can react.

"This is our final mission, Team Seven. Get ready to move out."

Kaguya charged in again. This time, when the Rabbit Goddess fired off a salvo of All-Killing Ash Bones, Kakashi took himself out of phase with Kamui while his former students scattered in three separate directions; Naruto and Sasuke readying themselves for the final blow while Sakura and Kakashi launched the pincer attack that would keep Kaguya distracted. As Kaguya moved closer, Kakashi manifested his Perfect Susanoo, which used Lightning Blade, driving her back. At the same time, Sakura appeared behind Kaguya and struck her with a Righteous Fist Thrust, sending the Rabbit Goddess directly into Kakashi's attack.

Kaguya had no choice but to use Yomotsu Hirasaka.

"Naruto, Sasuke, now!" Kakashi called out. Within a single moment, Team Seven spiraled out of sight and reappeared inside the core dimension, just moments before Kaguya reemerged. The Rabbit Goddess had no time to react this time. As soon as she left the rift, the two transmigrants slammed their hands into her sides.

"Six Paths Sealing Jutsu: Planetary Devastation!" Naruto and Sasuke shouted. Kaguya felt herself grow heavy, very heavy, and found she was unable to move. Then, pieces of the ground began breaking off from underneath Team Seven and started attaching themselves to the Rabbit Goddess, whose body reacted violently to the ultimate fūinjutsu (sealing technique). She degenerated into her Ten-Tails form, and then changed again into the Gedō Statue, as the rapidly forming moon ascended and continued pulling the core dimension apart.

Before they could witness the completion of the most powerful sealing spell, the four members of Team Seven felt themselves shift through limbo, and then they noticed that they had been returned to their own dimension.

x-x

"Did we do it?" Sakura asked nervously.

"Hell yeah!" Naruto shouted, wearing a big grin. "Good riddance to that bitch! Man, I thought that was gonna last forever!"

"The tone you just used in reference to my mother is rather disconcerting," a hollow voice cut in. Team Seven turned around to find that Hagoromo was still present, and that behind him were the spirits of all of the deceased Kage of every hidden village; they had to be the reason they were able to escape from Kaguya's dimension. "Make no mistake, she deserved what you were sent to do to her. I am simply concerned about you, my child."

Naruto's voice turned somber as he replied, "She was different from everyone else I've fought, Rikudō-ojii-sama. During that fight, I could tell she wasn't human at all. She wasn't like a mom was supposed to be. She was totally heartless. There wasn't any way to make her change, y'know?"

"Yes, I know. But for reasons even I cannot explain, I am still troubled."

"W-wait...you're the Rikudō Sennin?" Kakashi asked, flabbergasted. Hagoromo and a few of the deceased Kages just gave him a look that said he should have already known. "I-I see. Only you could have pulled off something like this."

"In any case, congratulations are in order for the four of you," Hagoromo continued. "Through your combined efforts as a team, you were able to seal my mother away and save the entire world." Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi were all quick to deny the praise, but Sasuke said that they should just accept it. Reluctantly, they agreed. After all, it's not every day that a being regarded by the ninja world as a god sings your praises.

After a while, they remembered that everyone was still trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and Sasuke asked the Sage how they were supposed to free everyone. "Breaking the spell is simple, Sasuke," Hagoromo instructed. "You and Naruto just need to make the Seal of Reconciliation, and the genjutsu will be undone. Everyone will be freed from the lie Madara created." Sasuke thought that was a little less complex than he had imagined, but it did not matter. He waited for a few minutes as Naruto and his father, Minato Namikaze, left for a final conversation before the revived spirits of the dead Kage were sent back to the Pure World. Then Sasuke's left hand united with Naruto's right, and a pulse was sent through the roots of the Shinjū. All across the world, cocoons began falling from the roots, and the victims began climbing out. However, it soon became clear that the releasing of the ultimate genjutsu did not work on everyone.

"Naruto, we have a problem," Sasuke said, observing the failure to release all of the victims.

"What now, punk? Don't tell me you still wanna fight after all that?" Naruto said, getting defensive.

"Shut up, loser! Even if I still wanted to fight you, it wouldn't settle anything, not right now anyway. Both of us are almost out of chakra. No, we have a bigger issue that has to be dealt with first."

"Well hurry up and tell me, I wanna go home and eat a nice big bowl of ramen."

Sasuke shook his head. "Will you stop thinking about ramen for just one second? Not everyone is waking up from the Infinite Tsukuyomi."

 _That_ caught Naruto's attention and he instantly became serious. "What?! Are you serious?!"

Hagoromo thought a moment before commenting, "Strange. It seems there are some variables that still need to be resolved and accounted."

"It's true, Naruto. At least fifty people on this battlefield are still sleeping," Sakura said as her eyes darted around to confirm Sasuke's observations.

"Well, are our friends awake, at least?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, and it appears that using some of your leftover chakra is helping to wake up the others, but it may take a little longer."

"That's good, but what I'd like to know, Rikudō-ojii-sama, is—"

"Naruto!" a voice yelled before he could finish. With that the Sage gave Naruto a nod and vanished, but his last words did not go unheard by Team Seven.

 _"I_ _know_ _you will figure it out."_

"For God's sake, what now?" Naruto asked, annoyed by the interruption.

Shino, Kiba, and the rest of the Konoha Eleven ran up to him, panting heavily, and to Naruto it looked like they were upset when it should be a time for celebration. "What's up, guys? Can you make it quick though? I'm sure Bā-chan has some lame job for me to do and—" Naruto's voice stopped when he noticed someone was missing from their number. "Guys...where's Hinata?" he asked, frowning.

Ino stepped forward and with tears in her eyes, she said, "Naruto, that's why we need you. It's Hinata…she won't wake up!"

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean she won't wake up?!" he yelled.

"It's exactly like Ino-san said. Hinata-san cannot awaken, or rather, she refuses to awaken," Shino said.

"What's that supposed to mean, Shino? You guys probably just ran out of my chakra! Here I'll wake her up," Naruto said while grinning.

"You idiot!" Kiba growled, and tried to punch Naruto in the face.

"What now, Kiba?" Naruto yelled, catching Kiba's punch and pushing him aside.

"Between the seven of us, we had enough chakra to break at least ten people out of the genjutsu, but we ended up using all of it on Hinata and she still won't wake up!"

Naruto stopped and asked shakily, "Are you serious?" But he did not wait for an answer; he ran in the direction they had came from until he reached the spot where Hinata's cocoon lay motionless on the ground. Sure enough, she was still encased in the wrapping of the tree. The only way Naruto could tell it was her was because of Kurama's ability to sense emotions.

"Okay, Hinata, wakey wakey!" Naruto said. Although he was low on chakra, he applied what should have been enough to force anyone awake from this genjutsu, but instead, the moment he touched the cocoon like case he was blown back as if it had repelled him. "What the hell?" he asked, rubbing his now aching backside.

"Yeah, it did that to Kiba too when he tried tearing those wrappings apart," Shikamaru said. He and the others had caught up at this point and were all looking at Naruto. "Those cocoons are way more trouble than they're worth."

"God damn it!" Naruto yelled, punching the ground with enough force to open up a fissure, forcing some of the others to jump away. Most of them were stunned to see Naruto get so angry, even though all of them, with the exception of Sasuke, had seen how he'd lost control and nearly set the Kyūbi no Yōko (Nine-Tailed Demon Fox) free when he saw Pain stab Hinata during the Akatsuki's attack on Konoha ten months ago. "Alright, fine, let's see it take a Rasengan!" he then yelled as he turned back to face the cocoon. But Sasuke grabbed his right arm before he could begin forming the destructive sphere.

"Are you insane?" Sasuke hissed.

"You could possibly injure Hinata or yourself if you do that!" Sakura yelled, punching Naruto in the head.

"Ow!" Naruto whined. Then he rubbed his head and asked, "Fine, Sakura-chan, you got any bright ideas? Actually I'd like to know why she won't wake up in the first place and what was with that thing attacking me like that."

"I believe I said that Hinata-san is either unable, or unwilling to wake up," Shino commented. "Personally, I think the latter is more likely."

Naruto frowned, trying to hold back his anger. "So you're telling me the reason Hinata isn't waking up is because she doesn't _want_ to wake up? Get real, Shino! What could a dream possibly give her that she doesn't have?"

"You would be surprised…"

"Never mind! I'll just jump inside her dream and wake her up that way!" Naruto said.

"How do you plan on entering another person's dream?" Shikamaru asked.

"Oh, that's easy! Ino, come here for a second…"

x-x

After a bit of protest and a very complex explanation, Ino used her clan jutsu on Naruto and he found himself back in Konoha, or rather, Hinata's dreamworld version of Konoha. In this dream, it was springtime. The temperature felt just right and the leaves appeared to be sparkling in the sunlight as the breeze they drifted in sounded like it was gently laughing.

"So this is Hinata's dream? Man, oh man. I'll have to admit she paints a better picture than the real thing. Even all the litter is gone!" Naruto then slapped himself after blurting all of that out; he couldn't let himself admire the dream lest he end up not wanting to leave either. He had to find Hinata and fast.

He walked around the village, meeting familiar faces and friends, but never stopped to talk, but he noticed several of the guys gave him a thumbs up as he ran along, and Kiba and Shino's dream forms glared at him as if he stole something from them. "Well that was weird. What did Hinata make them think I did?" he asked himself as he found his way to the park, which was surprisingly empty for such a nice day. He decided to cut through the grass to get to the Hyūga compound faster, as that's where he thought he would find Hinata, but before he could keep moving, he saw her running up to him.

"Naruto-kun!" she called.

Naruto was at least happy to see her smiling and began to call back, "Hey, Hinata! Listen we need to—" But he never finished. Hinata tackled him and gripped him in a bear hug, laughing and giggling like a school girl. But what surprised him the most was when she looked him in the eyes and kissed him full on the lips. Naruto's eyes popped out of their sockets from the unexpected display of affection and for a moment, he forgot why he had come here.

Hinata ended the kiss and purred into his jacket, but after a while she noticed Naruto hadn't said anything to her. "Naruto-kun, is everything alright?" she asked.

Naruto stood up and helped Hinata up as well, then answered, "Yeah! I'm fine! But listen, we need to get out of here. This place isn't real, Hinata. You're still inside that genjutsu Madara used! Nothing here is real and if you stay you'll die and get turned into a Zetsu!"

"Wait, what, Naruto-kun?!" Hinata said.

"Come on, Hinata! I have a mind link with Ino and when I give her the word she'll pull us out, but we need to be touching." Naruto was stunned when Hinata removed herself from his contact and turned to see her shaking her head with her eyes closed. "What the hell are you doing, Hinata? We need to go right now!"

Hinata hid her face from him and said, almost too quietly for him to hear, "I...I don't want to."

Naruto was getting annoyed. Who the heck would want to turn into a Zetsu for a dream? "Hinata, stop playing around! We need to leave! Come on!"

"I said I don't want to!" Hinata nearly screamed the words this time, and Naruto was bewildered at the force of her voice. Bewildered, and extremely angry. Naruto had never thought he would be angry at Hinata, but she was acting so strange and now was not the time for her to act like that.

"Hinata, this isn't a game, y'know! Nothing here is real and you'll die if you stay! What could you possibly want to stay here for?!" he yelled. There was a flicker of orange and suddenly Naruto saw what looked like a clone of himself holding Hinata close and stroking her hair.

"What do I have here that could make me want to stay, you ask?" Hinata said. She looked at Naruto with the saddest smile he had ever seen adorning a girl's face and answered, "It's because...you love me here, Naruto-kun…"

Naruto felt like Sakura had just smacked him upside the head again, only with one hundred times the normal force. It suddenly started to make sense; the reason her face often turned red when he was around her, the reason she had always been kind to him and never said a bad word about him, everything. "Hinata, I…" he began to say, but he felt a sudden pain in his chest and looked down to find a jet black kunai was protruding from his chest, flickering in and out of existence. Too late, Naruto knew someone had tried to kill him in the real world.

Hinata's scream was silent as she forced herself out of the dream Naruto's arms and towards the real Naruto, ending the dream.

x-x

Ino's scream as the mind link was abruptly severed, on the other hand, could be heard for almost a full kilometer, alerting everyone else to the presence of the intruder. The Yamanaka heiress collapsed to her knees, gripping her head from the recoil of the link breaking so violently.

"H-how the hell did you...get out of Kaguya's dimension?" Naruto struggled to say while coughing up blood. "I know I sealed your sorry ass inside that moon!"

 **"As if that could stop me from fulfilling my purpose,"** Black Zetsu sneered. **"I don't care if it takes another** **one** **thousand years.** **Mother** **will be reborn!"**

Before anyone could arrive in time to respond, the homunculus vanished into the earth, and Naruto collapsed.

x-x

Naruto woke up a few minutes later and found he had difficulty breathing. His head was laying on something soft and there were shouts coming from all around, searching for Black Zetsu.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked. He tried to stand up, but felt sharp pain course through his body, and was forced back down.

"Don't move, you moron! You were stabbed and the tip was poisoned." Naruto looked to see who had spoken and saw Sakura over him deep in concentration, generating a green aura around his chest as she tried to repair the wound.

"Oh...well you can fix it, right Sakura-chan?" But then he remembered, "Oh wait, what about Hinata?! Where is she?" Naruto said hoarsely and tried moving again.

"I said don't move!" Sakura growled. "Hinata's fine. She's right behind you."

Naruto forced himself to move just enough to realize that the soft object his head was laying on was, in fact, Hinata's lap. "Oh thank goodness," Naruto said in relief. "I thought you were going to stay in that dream forever."

Hinata was smiling at him, but Naruto knew at once it was her sad smile. "Of course not, Naruto-kun. I can't be selfish like that. You needed me, so I came back."

Naruto grinned, but then coughed up more blood. "Hey...I know this is a bad time, what with a hole in my chest and all, but why was your dream about me, Hinata?" Aside from the coughing fits, Naruto's voice sounded like it always did, happy and carefree, but Sakura and Hinata knew it was growing weaker fast. Hinata was in a fit of tears now. Naruto hated seeing her cry; he never wanted her to be sad.

"Naruto-kun...my dream was about you because...because my greatest desire was to be with you. To hold you, to laugh with you...to love you."

Naruto had heard Hinata's confession of love before, back when he had been pinned down by Pain, but he had subconsciously blocked it out because he couldn't understand why she would say that. Why was it that he could only try to understand her words now, when he was at death's door? Was it because no one had shown him what it was like to be loved until he finally met his mother, Kushina, while he trained to control Kurama's power? Or had he simply convinced himself during his lonely childhood that he was incapable of being loved? He'd craved acknowledgment his entire life, but genuine love? Maybe that was why he had chased after Sakura for so long; he was jealous of the affection she showed Sasuke and had wanted to feel that so much, however he realized now he had been searching in the wrong place. "Hey, don't cry Hinata. I'll be fine, Sakura-chan will heal me up in no time…" but his strength was fading and his voice became inaudible.

"Sakura-san, please, you have to help him!" Hinata cried.

"I'm trying! He's lost a lot of blood and he hasn't had a chance to recover from the constant battles! On top of everything, I've never seen this kind of poison before so I don't know what to do!"

 _ **"I think I know why,"**_ the Kyūbi no Yōko, Kurama said over the telepathic link it shared with its partner.

"Oh not now, Kurama! Can't you see I'm trying to impress a girl here?" Naruto said aloud.

"There isn't anything you can do for him, Sakura," another voice said. Naruto would have scowled at its owner if he wasn't too busy dying.

"Oh great, it's the bastard." Naruto coughed again as Sasuke came into view. "Actually this is perfect, did you know Hinata likes me and not you, Sasuke?" he bragged with all the bravado he could muster.

"As a matter of fact, loser, I did," Sasuke replied. "You were the only one who never noticed. But I'm afraid I have bad news." Sasuke turned away, trying in vain to hide his tears from the others. "Naruto, why must you always be such an idiot!" he yelled.

"What is it, Sasuke-san? What's wrong with Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked desperately. In response, Sasuke threw an empty vial at Sakura, making the pink-haired medic gasp.

"This is…"

"It's not exactly a poison, Sakura. The liquid the kunai was coated with contains a chakra virus. Normally, Naruto would shrug it off because he heals so fast, but with his own reserves _and_ the Kyūbi—"

"Kurama," Naruto corrected.

"As I was saying, with both of their chakra reserves being depleted there's no question that he'll..." Sasuke couldn't finish, but he didn't need to. He dropped to his knees, facing away from the others as his own tears continued to flow incessantly.

"Sakura-san, please, you can't let him die!" Hinata begged, crying harder than ever.

"I've done everything I can, Hinata!" Sakura cried, unable to stop her own tears from falling. "His wound is closed, but I can't stop the virus!"

Naruto looked up at the crying girl and was filled with sadness over how stupid he had been. "Hey, I'll be okay, Hinata, please don't cry." But they all knew he was lying to himself. However, no one dared call him out on that lie.

"Naruto-kun, you can't die! I need you! I love you!" Hinata cried while cradling his head. They were soon surrounded by their friends but no one had anything to say, too lost in their own grief as the Hero of Konoha, no, the Savior of this World, came ever closer to his final passing out of the world he saved.

Naruto had realized as soon as the kunai pierced his chest that he was going to die, and had accepted it. He still had too many regrets, the biggest being not being able to become Hokage, but he had achieved the original goal which once fueled his determination. Everyone in Konoha now acknowledged and accepted Naruto. All of his friends, which he'd fought so hard to win over were safe, and Sasuke was back on their side, fulfilling the promise he had made to Sakura-chan over four years ago. He shouldn't have needed to know anything more. But something still didn't feel right. He still felt Hinata's pain, a pain which was far too much like his own for him to understand why she felt it; sure, he understood the grief from losing someone close to you, but...

"Guys...can I get a minute alone with Hinata?" Naruto asked.

"I can't do that," Sakura replied, shaking her head hard enough to fling away the tears still cascading down her cheeks. "I still have to do something to—"

"Please," he interrupted her, his voice still growing weaker as he donned the strongest mask he could, still trying to offer some form of comfort to his friends. All of the other surviving members of the Konoha Eleven walked away without objections; they would honor his last request, no matter how difficult it was to leave him. Sakura still refused at first; she still looked like she needed to say something important, but she couldn't get the words out. It took Sasuke looking her in the eyes and resting a hand on her shoulder to convince her to leave. He gave one last look to Naruto, and for a brief moment, his Sharingan flashed and the pattern morphed into its Eternal Mangekyō form.

And then he finally walked away with Sakura, leaving Naruto alone with Hinata in his last moments.

Now that they were alone, Hinata tenderly stroked and petted Naruto's hair. The wonderful sensations of her gentle caresses were agonizing for Naruto, who was only now starting to figure out that this was all he'd truly wanted. Hinata's seemingly endless tears only made it even more painful for him. Naruto struggled to reach towards Hinata's face and wipe her tears away.

"Crying really doesn't suit you, y'know," he said.

"Stop it!" Hinata snapped, making Naruto flinch. He didn't understand why she was angry all of a sudden. "Just stop it, Naruto-kun. Stop acting like it's all okay! Just be selfish, for once in your life!"

"Hinata..." a stunned Naruto tried to say.

Hinata wouldn't allow him to protest: "For once in your life, you need to say that it's not fair. You have always been like this, Naruto-kun, always putting everyone else above yourself. That's why everyone admires you, Naruto-kun...but it isn't admirable to keep doing it, not now! Just for once, say you want to live because you deserve it! It's your right!"

Naruto smiled and shook his head. "This isn't about me, is it Hinata?" he asked. Hinata shook her head and let more tears fall onto his face. "It's...was it that dream?"

 _'Why doesn't he understand?'_ Hinata internally cried out. _'How bad was his life if he still doesn't understand? Naruto-kun, just how badly were you starved of love?'_ "You...you can't do this to me, Naruto-kun," she objected. "It hurts...it hurts seeing you like this...and I don't mean your stab wound or the virus. I mean...oh, for heaven's sake, Naruto-kun! Why can't you see how much I love you?" she finally snapped, trembling and wailing.

 _'What does she mean by that?'_ Naruto wondered as his life force kept fading. Until he had gone to the Falls of Truth for his final training to control Kurama's power and met the chakra imprint of his mother, he had not been able to recognize any kind of love. But even now, he was still confused. He was still blind to his own feelings and couldn't make the distinction; was she talking about that kind of love, or was it something like his love of ramen? No, that wasn't right...

Hinata felt like cursing the world. Even now, Naruto still was struggling to figure out his own feelings, and not only could she not save him, she still had to fight to reach him with her love. "From the moment I first met you, Naruto-kun, I was destined to fall in love with you and only you. Do you understand what I mean?"

Recognition finally flashed through Naruto's eyes. Yes, he did understand now, and was learning that on some level he had always known what that feeling was, even if he couldn't understand it then. "Hinata, I...I didn't..."

"Don't say it's your fault, Naruto-kun," Hinata objected, her crying slowing down to sniffling. "I should have explained it long ago. It's my fault for not being there sooner."

All the memories of the times he and Hinata spent together raced though Naruto's mind and he was seeing them in a new light. He'd first thought of her as dark, gloomy and completely weird, but realized after they bonded just how gentle and kind she was. Hinata had always been friendly towards him, and had supported him through several of his worst moments in life, but that alone didn't explain how he felt. Whenever Naruto had been around Hinata since that fateful August day four years ago, he had felt a certain happiness, an intense feeling in his heart. But the feeling was so completely alien that he could not even begin to understand what it was or why it was there.

As Naruto's blind spot vanished, he started shaking violently and hacking up more blood; if anything was truly killing him now, it was not the mortal wound to his chest or the virus coursing through his veins, but realizing how big of an idiot he had been to not see Hinata's feelings. Hinata pulled him up, pressing his back to her chest and managed to stabilize him with her touch, but it wouldn't be much longer now before he succumbed.

"Hinata," Naruto whispered, gripping her hand in his, "please don't cry...I don't like it when you cry..."

"I'll stop crying when you decide to live, damn it!" Hinata wailed. "Please live, Naruto-kun! Live for me, live for your friends, but live for yourself too! You can't die, not now! I need you to live! I love you too much to let you die!"

The two fell silent for a few long moments as Hinata poured out all her grief and held Naruto's limp body tightly. She knew she couldn't stop the virus, but she had to try something! If he needed her life force, she would gladly give it all so he could stay alive. Naruto tried to keep his grip on Hinata, but his strength had almost completely left him. He only had enough to try, for just a few seconds, to return the love she needed him to feel.

"Hinata..." Naruto said, his voice almost inaudible.

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"Could you say what you just said again?" Naruto pleaded with Hinata. "I just want to hear it again, cause I feel like falling asleep, y'know."

Hinata tried to put on a happy face for Naruto, so he could feel her love the way she had meant him to feel. But even Naruto knew, even without the tears still falling onto him, that her gentle smile was forced. "Of course...I'll say it as much as you like." She took a deep breath and said it again: "I love you, Naruto-kun." Her words filled Naruto with joy and longing.

"More. I want...to hear it more. Please, Hinata...please just keep going..."

Never in her life had Hinata heard a sound that was more bittersweet than Naruto's begging her to show him her love. It was painful on a completely new level, and she felt like all the kunai that had ever been forged and manufactured were now stabbing her in the heart all at once. "Naruto-kun, I love you. I love you so much," she whispered through a fresh wave of tears.

Naruto smiled weakly; it was his true smile, but it was a more heartbreaking smile than ever. He tried to say something to Hinata, so she'd keep sending him her love, but his voice left him and his vision grew dark.

"No!" Hinata screamed. "Stay with me, Naruto-kun! Please stay with me!" she wailed out, activating her Byakugan and covering her palms with chakra, using all of her limited medical knowledge to force Naruto to return to her. "You can't leave me! Not like this!"

Naruto wanted to stay, he really did, but he knew he couldn't. He reached out and channeled the last vestiges of his strength from anywhere he could find it and stopped Hinata from trying to sustain him any longer. What happened after that was something no one that close to death should have been able to do. As the sun finally rose over the battlefield, Naruto willed himself to move with a strength that was clearly supernatural in origin, lifting himself up just enough to meet Hinata's face...

And he kissed her...

It was a kiss that was supposed to liberate Hinata. It was a kiss that tried to convey Naruto's most sincere apologies and finally show her that he felt the same way about her. It was the most beautiful, and most traumatic, moment in Hinata's life. Both her tears and Naruto's glistened in those first rays of sunlight which marked what they believed was the climax of their tragedy as the two star-crossed lovers poured all their feelings into the first and last kiss they would ever share. And neither of them wanted this moment to end, because they both knew that once it did, death would separate them forever.

But the moment did end. Naruto's lips broke away from hers and he used the absolute last bit of strength he had to whisper a single message into Hinata's ear.

"Hinata...thank you...for loving me."

And then he fell to the ground, never to rise again.

x-x

Hinata's wailing echoed throughout the battlefield as she pulled Naruto back into her arms, trying in vain to bring him back. Sakura and Sasuke rushed back to her, dreading what they knew they would find. The former pressed her fingers to Naruto's neck and tried to hold her composure as she looked at Hinata.

"Hinata, Naruto is—"

"Don't say it!" Hinata said harshly. Sakura zipped her lips as Hinata continued, "Please don't say it, Sakura-san, I already know…" Everyone was drowning in their own sorrow over the loss of their dear friend but it paled in comparison to Hinata's. She had been the first to believe in him, and he in her, so how could they possibly know what they were supposed to do to comfort her now that he was gone? Hinata just sat there, a broken shell of herself stroking Naruto's spiky hair, repeating over and over how she loved him despite knowing her words could not reach him.

"If it's any consolation, we caught the bastard that did this, Hinata," Sasuke said, finally regaining some semblance of composure. "Black Zetsu may have managed to escape from Kaguya's dimension, but he's not going anywhere now. We also found the eldritch abomination that pulled the homunculus out of that dimension," he added, reaching under his gray shirt to reveal a dead Ten-Tails Mini Clone that had somehow survived even after Kaguya's sealing and tossed it towards her feet. "Kakashi should be bringing Zetsu here at any moment."

Hinata said nothing and continued what she was doing as if she had not heard. But the silence of gloom turned to rage very quickly as Kiba came up to Sasuke and punched him, yelling "Get away from Hinata, you cursed sick son of a bitch!"

"Kiba-kun, calm down!" Shino yelled as he restrained him.

It was at that moment Kakashi and Hiashi arrived. Having heard Hinata was one of those who had not awakened from the Infinite Tsukuyomi, the clan head had insisted on coming along. "What is going on here?" he asked.

"Calm yourself, Hyūga-sama," Kakashi responded. "Sakura, what's Naruto's condition?" When no one answered Kakashi, he said it a bit louder, "I said, what is Naruto's condition?"

"I'll tell you! Naruto is dead! That's right, I said it, Naruto's gone!" Kiba shouted, breaking free from Shino's grip. He turned to Sasuke and threw a punch at the Uchiha's face, which was blocked effortlessly. "And it's all your fault!" he screamed, attempting to attack Sasuke, who was only defending and not fighting back. "If he hadn't been so obsessed with bringing a traitor like you back, everything would be different!"

"I didn't kill Naruto!" Sasuke argued, slamming Kiba onto the ground with an elbow to his back.

"But you were going to, so what's the difference?!" Kiba coughed up a bit of dirt as he pushed himself back to his feet. "Not only that, your twisted mind actually led you to think we, his friends, would let you become Hokage?!" Kiba would have attacked again, but Shino pinned him down once more.

Hiashi looked at Naruto and saw his unmoving body, and, to both his relief and displeasure, his daughter kneeling besides him ignoring everything around her, too lost in her despair. "Is this true, Hatake-san?" he asked.

"No. It was this... _thing_ who dealt the blow, but are you sure Naruto is dead?" Kakashi asked everyone. Their silence gave him all the answer he needed. "I see…" He turned to face Black Zetsu and glowered at the homunculus, his face filled with fury. "I consider myself a hard man to piss off, but right now…" he kicked the prisoner in his gut and punched his face for good measure, "my boiling point is lower than I ever thought possible! I _will_ exact retribution, scum!"

Everyone then started to argue over who was next and who would get to deal the finishing blow to the bastard who robbed them of their comrade. Shouts of "I'll tear his head off!" and "I'll rip him limb from limb!" quickly filled the air. Even Shikamaru said, "I actually feel like killing you would not be a drag."

Hiashi was also angry at the boy's death, but what caused him ever more anger was seeing how broken his daughter looked. _'Right as she was becoming the daughter I should have raised,'_ he thought. Kiba was still struggling to attack Sasuke again and Hiashi came up and put his hands on the young Inuzuka's shoulders, "Control yourself, Inuzuka-san. I am very angry as well." He gave Sasuke a hateful look as he went on, "Allow me to take care of this blasted Uchiha." Then addressing Sasuke he said, "I am well aware of the power you now possess, Uchiha, but frankly, I don't give a damn." Some of the other observers did a double take; they knew Hiashi had to be pissed if he was using profanities. "If it were within my power to do so, I would kill you right here and now. However, I still have my clan and now my daughter who I pray is not broken beyond repair to think about. When I return to the village, rest assured that I shall never let you anywhere near my home or family, provided that you ever see the light of day again, that is." But everyone became silent once more as Hinata slowly stood up after leaving Naruto to Sakura.

"Hinata?" Sakura asked, breaking the silence.

"Hinata, do not walk any closer to that filth! He does not deserve your compassion," Hiashi commanded, but she ignored him.

"Don't talk about Sasuke-kun like that!" Sakura yelled. Bad move; Hiashi activated his Byakugan and glared at her.

"Do not think that you are not at fault either, Haruno-san. You were the one Uzumaki-san always chased after," he spat. "If you hadn't led him on, hadn't encouraged him to pursue the Uchiha for your petty infatuation, perhaps my plan to bring Uzumaki-san and Hinata together would have worked." That last asinine statement earned several raised eyebrows and several more looks of shock, and enraged Sakura. But it wasn't Sakura who physically struck the Hyūga patriarch.

 _That_ blow came from Hinata, in the form of a palm thrust that knocked her father onto the ground and forced his dōjutsu to deactivate. Every human watching the scene was stunned, disbelieving that Hinata would actually attack Hiashi.

"That is enough, Otō-sama," Hinata coldly said. Hiashi shook his head and dusted himself off as stood up, seemingly unaffected by his eldest daughter's assault.

"Hinata, considering everything I have put you through I know I am the last person who has the right to say this, but I swear I am acting in your best interests."

Hinata ignored him and looked at Sasuke in the eye. For a moment, the last Uchiha saw the tiniest bit of hate in those lavender crystals and knew that Hinata did harbor just a little bit of resentment towards him as well, though she was too kind to ever say it aloud. Then she turned to face Black Zetsu and said, "You killed him…"

Black Zetsu gave her an evil grin. **"What of it?** **Humans** **die all the time,** **it is part of the natural cycle. If you want my opinion, you should have remained inside the Infinite Tsukuyomi;** **at** **least that way you would have died happy. Or** **had you convinced yourself that** **you could have your fairy-tale ending in the real world?** **Foolish mortal** **. There's no such thing as happy endings in this** **broken** **world. It's high time you accepted that truth** **and gave in to your despair** **."**

The air turned cold and Hinata's hands lit up like fire, her hair was blowing madly in the wind. "Gentle Step: Twin Lion Surge," she whispered, launching herself at Zetsu and beginning to beat him like a rag doll, her tears flowing freely as her grief and rage surfaced. "Sixteen Palms!" Her attacks increased in speed and intensity, but Zetsu was just laughing, deriving a twisted satisfaction from her assault, which fueled her hate even more. "Thirty-Two Palms!" The wind was rushing past them so fast now that everyone had to brace themselves. As Hinata's assault intensified, Sakura fell to her knees and watched as her dear friend surrendered to hate. It was almost like the time Naruto had gone berserk against Pain...

"Sixty-Four Palms!"

"Hinata…" she said with tears in her eyes. With a final cry of despair, Hinata shouted at the top of her lungs and the fire in her hands made the lions grow to abnormal heights. "One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Palms!" The ground shattered beneath her as the last blow smashed into Zetsu, making a crater almost as large as the ones caused by the meteor impacts from earlier. Believing it finished, Hinata fell to her knees and said, "He is gone now, Naruto-kun, the person who took you from me is gone now."

 **"Don** **'** **t be so sure,"** Black Zetsu laughed maniacally as he climbed out of the crater. Hinata looked behind her and saw the artificial life form was still very much alive. **"** **You can't kill me,** **foolish girl** **. You're too weak."**

Hinata's face twisted in a hate that was stronger than even Sasuke had once felt. How dare this subhuman scum call her weak after taking away the person who always praised her strength! How dare he mock her when he was at her mercy! "Fine. If I can't kill you…" her hands were raised once more, but the blue fire around them was as pillars trying to pierce the sky, "I'll just rip you apart until there's nothing left of you!"

Kakashi knew Hinata was pushing herself way past her limits and was chakra deprived as much as anyone. Should she exert any more strain on her body, there would be nothing left of her to save. "Hiashi-sama, you need to stop her before she attacks again!" he yelled.

"Why should I?" the Hyūga patriarch asked, grinning at the sight of his daughter's fury. "Hinata is showing that trash what it means to anger a Hyūga."

"Open your eyes, you insufferable asshole! Your daughter is about to kill herself to take that trash down! Are you going to stand by and let that happen?!" Hiashi, who had not reactivated his Byakugan since his daughter attacked him, did not realize the physical and emotional Hinata was going through, so of course he did not understand. Thankfully, Kiba did after being on Team Eight with her for so long. Kiba freed himself from Shino's grip and ran to Hinata, saying he would take care of Sasuke later, then flung his arms around her.

"Hinata, stop, please stop," Kiba begged.

"Let me go, Kiba-kun!" Hinata screamed, struggling against Kiba's grip. "I have to avenge Naruto-kun!"

"Not if it means you dying as well! Think, Hinata! Would Naruto want you to die?!" he said, forcing her back onto her knees. Shino came up to her as well and knelt beside her, and added, "Hinata-san, no one can ever replace Naruto, nor can the pain of his loss ever go away, but please don't take yourself away from us as well."

"Why do you care, Shino-kun? I don't want to live anymore...there's nothing left to live for..."

Shino put his hands on hers even though the flames still glowed, and he took off his sunglasses before looking at his female teammate. "I know it seems that way right now, Hinata, after all you knew Naruto better than anyone. You were the first to accept him, and the only one to show him the love he lacked. However, we cannot allow you to die. I know it does not count for much and our feelings are not the same, but…" Shino, who had never cried before was now letting his tears flow as well, and his dark eyes met lavender as he said, "we love you, Hinata. Does that count for anything? You still have your teammates, you still have your family, and you still have an entire village that loves you. So I know I am being selfish, but don't you think we deserve to keep you in our lives?" Hinata's hands went out and she began crying loudly, her anguish could be heard and felt throughout the battlefield. Shino and Kiba hugged her tightly, not letting anyone see the broken comrades' face as they tried their hardest to calm her.

Black Zetsu frowned at the attempt to comfort the broken woman. **"Mortals** **are** **so easy to break. All this talk of love is utter nonsense.** **Love is useless. It only weakens you. This weakness of your species will only lead to your downfall."**

"Maybe so," a voice said behind him. Black Zetsu and several of the Shinobi Alliance soldiers turned to see Chōjūrō, along with a team of fūinjutsu specialists, behind him. Chōjūrō, the only other person there who had attempted to kill this variety of Zetsu, learned that it was unfortunately immortal, which left only one way to deal with the threat it posed. "But if that day comes, you won't be around to see it." Black Zetsu was frozen in fear and howling in rage as the sealing team approached. One thousand years of careful manipulation were about to end, but this time there was no contingency plan. This time, there was no escape from the inevitable.

 **"No...Noooooooooooooo!"**

x-x

From a distance, Hagoromo observed as Kakashi and Shikamaru issued orders to seek and destroy any remaining Ten-Tails Mini Clones that were still alive, while a medic team separated Naruto's corpse from Hinata. They realized that if one had survived and assimilated the ability to access Kaguya's dimension, no attempt to seal Black Zetsu away could possibly work as long as any spawn of Kaguya still lived.

Hagoromo had not anticipated that his mother would go _this_ far to ensure she reigned supreme over the world she called "her precious nursery" once more. He had not foreseen that she would have engineered this many countermeasures against him, both in her last moments and in the moments leading to her rebirth. And the results of this catastrophe placed a heavy burden on his transcended spirit and on the time stream itself. The death of Naruto, the reincarnation of his younger son Asura, was a disaster that knocked the world out of balance. Naruto was not only the transmigrant of Asura's lineage, he was the Child of Prophecy. But prophecy had been thoroughly corrupted by his mother's will. With Naruto dead, Asura's bloodline was extinct, and the reincarnation cycle was broken. The world would continue to spiral downward until the weight of its people's hate triggered a total collapse. And if anyone figured out how to revive Kaguya again in the future, there would be no way to stop her from destroying what was left.

This was _not_ how the events of this war should have played out.

Before Hagoromo faded into the wind once more, he took a last glance at the Hyūga girl who had lost her most precious person. Perhaps one day, the heiress of his brother Hamura's bloodline would take the chance they needed to set things right. He would just have to wait until that day arrives.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Girl with No Future**

(Present Day)

As Hinata walked through the streets of Konoha, she found the fresh air made her feel slightly better. Being cooped up in an office job was not what she had in mind for her future, but then again, there was so much that had turned out the opposite of how she wanted. She had not actually stopped being a kunoichi of her own will, but was discharged from service, being deemed unfit for active duty due to mental instability. What meager resistance she put up when she argued against it only seemed to fuel her father's arguments in favor of terminating her ninja career. Tsunade had been against it as well at first, but after observing her condition, she quickly agreed with Hiashi. Believing he was finally doing right by Hinata, he had used all his power and resources to ensure she would be banned from performing any kind of dangerous job. When Tsunade questioned his reasoning, Hiashi had responded, _"_ _I_ _'_ _ve already lost her heart, but I'll be damned if I lose her life!"_ Hinata sighed after replaying the memory. She never showed it, but even though she resented Hiashi, she appreciated that he was at least trying to make things better for her. He had tried to make sure she would live in comfort, and had even pulled some strings to have her placed on the clan's council of advisors. But Hinata just did not have the will to live anymore. That had died along with Naruto. What she was doing now, was simply going through the motions, nothing more.

In retrospect, she thought that maybe her father had been correct in his choice to have her removed from the ninja program shortly after the war. The incident that triggered his response was a simple cooking accident. Hinata was chopping vegetables but ended up slipping and cutting her wrist. But rather than heal the self-inflicted wound, she ignored it and continued as though it didn't happen. By the time the servants found her, she had passed out from blood loss and had to be rushed to Konoha Hospital, earning her a scolding from both her family and Shizune. When Hinata recounted the story, she simply said, " _I did not even realize it until I woke up."_

Hinata allowed herself a sad smile. In some ways, it was comforting to know that nothing could hurt her, at least not more then the pain she lived with since that day. When Toneri had kidnapped her during the Moon Crisis and demanded that she marry him, Hinata almost conceded. Not because she could ever develop feelings for the alien, but because she just did not see any reason to fight. She had given up on fighting. After being rescued by Sasuke, the only thing she stood for was getting him and Sakura together, if for no other reason than knowing how Sakura felt about him and not wanting him to lose the chance she lost. However, she had not attended his and Sakura's wedding due to the restraining order her father had placed on the Uchiha, and also because she could not bear to witness such events. In fact, she did not attend the weddings of any of her friends; for Hinata, weddings were just another painful reminder of the happiness that was robbed from her on that day. But what tore at her even more than not having the chance to be with Naruto was knowing that her soul mate had never been able to experience the warmth and comfort of a family. With each passing day, she hated herself that much more for not confessing to him sooner. If she had told Naruto her true feelings when she'd wanted, maybe she wouldn't have been caught inside the Infinite Tsukuyomi, maybe he wouldn't have been caught off guard, and maybe, just maybe, he would still be alive.

Hinata shook her head, she would save her pity party until she went to visit Naruto. She could not let anyone see her in her weakened state, lest people tread even more carefully around her. In order to prevent that from happening, she decided to get some take out at Ichiraku's. She knew she would regret her choice later, but for now she walked slowly towards the restaurant. Once she arrived twenty minutes after leaving her clan's complex, she was greeted with a warm smile from the owner of the deserted establishment, Teuchi.

"Oh! Hinata-san, how are this evening?" he asked.

Hinata forced a smile, ignoring the soreness in her jaw. She only rarely smiled since the war and so it hurt just a little bit each time she tried. "Oh, I was just taking a walk and well…"

"Say no more! It's the perfect time of the night to treat yourself to my special ramen, on the house! Go on, sit anywhere you like!"

"Oh no, I couldn't take it for free! I have plenty of ryō and—"

"Don't be ridiculous! It's rare to see the lovely Hinata Hyūga at my humble shop. I'd be offended if I had to accept your money." Of course Hinata had to relent since Teuchi would not budge on the matter, and, well, she never argued anymore. Teuchi's insistence reminded her of her meager resistance to the restraining order Tsunade placed on her best friend's husband. It was also true that she hardly ever ate out, so she had no idea what to order. Thankfully the old man seemed to know this and brought her a large steaming bowl of miso ramen with char siu (roasted pork fillet).

"Please enjoy!" Teuchi said. "This was my number one customer's favorite dish!" Hinata's hands twitched a little as she picked up the chopsticks. Anyone who knew Teuchi knew who he was talking about, and while she hated to even think about Naruto, reminiscing was unavoidable as long as she remained here. Still, she suppressed the thoughts as best she could.

"We-well I can see why...it-it's delicious!" she stammered.

"It's a shame that no one else seems to appreciate it as much these days. You know I used to have to keep this stuff stocked up more than the rest of my stores. But times change and people move on. Now I have to put in more effort advertising to draw in customers."

"Tha-that's not good, Teuchi-oji-san. Maybe I could lend you some ryō and—"

"Oh don't you worry about it missy, I'm just rambling," he said with a smile. Hinata nodded and continued eating in silence; at this late hour she was the only customer present here and couldn't summon the strength to hold a conversation with the owner. But while she was eating, she silently begged him not to say Naruto's name. Unfortunately, her pleas were not heard.

"Poor Naruto, it's such a shame he died like that. I can't stop thinking about him whenever ramen comes to mind," he said, shaking his head and wiping away a few tears before they could fall down his cheeks. Hinata choked on a piece of pork and began coughing violently, knocking the half finished ramen bowl off the counter and breaking it. Immediately Teuchi went to her aid, but she pushed him aside. "Hinata-san, are you alright?!"

Regaining her composure, she got off her stool and hid her face before he could see her tears. "I-I'm sorry, Teuchi-oji-san, please excuse me!" she said before running away.

"Hinata-san, wait!" Teuchi called out, only wanting to comfort the broken girl. But his words went unheard.

x-x

Teuchi just stood there for several minutes after the girl ran off into the darkness, but still couldn't figure out what had happened. He scratched his head and started cleaning up the spilled ramen and broken glass. "She must be having a hard time," he said to himself. A few moments later, Kiba walked by during his nightly patrol and saw the mess.

"Hey old man, what happened?" Kiba asked Teuchi. His faithful companion Akamaru whimpered and nudged his leg, demanding his attention. "What's gotten into you, Akamaru? I fed you before we left! Plus do dogs even like ramen?" Akamaru growled in response, indicating that was not what he was trying to tell his master.

"I don't believe ramen is healthy for dogs," Teuchi commented. "As to your question, it's nothing, really. Just a small—"

"Hang on a minute, old man," Kiba interrupted and sniffed the air. Despite the strong aroma emanating from the kitchen, his enhanced smell detected just a hint of lavender perfume, and he knew only one person who used it. "Was Hinata here?"

"Actually, yes, but she ran off in quite a hurry a few minutes ago leaving me this mess. Not that I mind, she seemed upset."

Of course that came as no surprise, everyone doubted they would ever see Hinata truly happy again, but Kiba refused to believe that, instead taking the position that no one was trying hard enough. So he decided to confront the chef. "What did you say to her?" he growled.

Surprised by Kiba's reaction, Teuchi raised an eyebrow. "I was just talking to her for a bit and everything seemed fine. But she suddenly dashed off when I mentioned Naruto, and—"

"You stupid old man!" Kiba yelled, slamming his fist down on the bar, and Akamaru barked angrily at Teuchi. "Why the hell would you mention Naruto in front of Hinata?! His name is taboo around her! I thought everyone in the village knew that!"

"Now hold on a moment, what's the big deal? Naruto was a hero, Kiba. We shouldn't let ourselves forget about him."

"You really don't know?" Kiba asked, reining in his anger.

"Know what?"

"Never mind." Kiba shook his head, and Akamaru whined. "Anyway, where did she go? I'd better make sure she makes it home okay." He left, but didn't make it very far before Hanabi came running up to him and tugged on his jacket.

"Kiba-san!" Hanabi said frantically. "Hurry up, Kiba-san, I need your help!"

"Easy there, Hanabi, what's gotten into you?"

"Ane-ue is out past her curfew! You know how she is, we need to find her!"

"Wait, Hinata has a curfew? She's twenty years old, why would—"

Hanabi whacked him on the head. "Idiot! You know why! She might try to hurt herself!"

"Then why did you let her out so late to begin with?"

"I didn't!" Hanabi yelled. "She left before I could stop her and I've been searching for her ever since." Kiba turned around and gave her a glare that reeked of suspicion.

"Does Hinata know she has a curfew? Does she know about the Anbu detail your prick of a father had Tsunade-sama assign to her before she stepped down?"

"Obviously not, you think Chichi-ue would make her believe she is so weak that she needs our eyes constantly trained on her? If we did that, she would just feel worse."

"But you have to do it anyway, huh?"

"How many mental breakdowns have you survived?" Hanabi waited for an answer, but didn't get one. "That's what I thought. Ane-ue is not well and you know it." Kiba was about to voice his reluctant agreement when he felt a shadowy presence appear behind him, and immediately went on guard.

"Hinata is missing, you say?" Sasuke appeared out of the gloom, donning his classic Sasuke Scowl as he faced down the Inuzuka and Hyūga. He couldn't care less about them. It was only Hinata who merited his concern.

Kiba, who still had a large amount of resentment and disgust for the Uchiha, had to stop himself from trying to maul him like a rabid dog. "It's none of your beeswax, Sasuke," he growled.

Sasuke realized talking to Kiba would be useless so he addressed Hanabi instead, "Is Hinata alright?"

Hanabi thumbed her nose at him. "Hmph. So the great Uchiha finally cares about someone other than himself? Don't make me laugh. You're lucky Chichi-ue only placed that restraining order on you. When I become clan head I'll make sure you rot in prison."

Sasuke sighed. The Hyūga were still caught up in their delusions. "I've already been given a full pardon, but fine. Until then, perhaps you could explain what's going on? I just want to—"

"Help? Oh you've done quite enough of that. Nobody needs your help, well except maybe that pink whore who puts out for you every night," the Hyūga Heiress snarled.

That did it. Sasuke was already twitching from the insults directed at himself, which he could tolerate without issue, but Sakura had suffered too much for staying by his side. Ex-criminal or not, he wouldn't stand to see everyone continue to mistreat her just for loving him. Without warning, Sasuke delivered a swift punch with his left hand to Hanabi's stomach, causing her to double over and cough up bile.

"Say whatever you want about me, Hyūga," Sasuke warned, his voice drenched in venom as he effortlessly blocked Kiba and Akamaru's attempt to maul him and threw them to the side, "and mutt," he added before returning his focus to Hanabi, "but I will _not_ allow you to speak ill of my wife. If you weren't Hinata's family, I would make sure your lives become a living hell." He watched as they glared at him, awaiting a response, but while Kiba and Hanabi were seething in anger, they were unwilling to say anything more to his face. They would not give Sasuke that satisfaction. That, and knowing they would lose no matter how they tried to attack him, were all that kept them grounded.

"So that's how it is." Sasuke spat at the ground directly in front of them. "As soon as I leave, you'll most likely ignore my warning and ridicule Sakura again. But I don't have time to put you in your place right now. Just remember that Naruto would be ashamed of you if he were still here. Goodnight." He turned around and stormed off, his cloak flapping in the brief gust that blew past him.

"What right does he have to say that about Naruto-nii-san?" Hanabi shouted, still slightly short of breath, waiting until Sasuke was no longer in sight to vent her anger. She turned to face Kiba, expecting him to agree with her, but all she found was a look of shame on his face as he pushed himself to his feet. Hanabi recoiled. She couldn't believe that Kiba was taking Sasuke's side, not after everything the Uchiha had done.

"You went too far, Hanabi," Kiba said. "I'm sick of your clan's attitude towards Sakura. She is nowhere near as bad as you make her out to be. Sasuke may be trash, but that doesn't make her trash for sticking with him." Hanabi went to grab his wrist and pull him off the street, but Kiba yanked his arm away and rode off on Akamaru's back. He had run out of patience with Hinata's little sister and wasn't about to put up with her stubbornness tonight. Besides, he needed to find Shino, and also let his girlfriend Tamaki know what was going on.

 _'What's his problem now?'_ Hanabi wondered while she rubbed her sore belly, allowing Kiba a brief head start before she chased after him. _'_ _Trash_ _belongs with trash_ _._ _Onē-sama may_ _still_ _be forgiving, but it will be a cold day in hell before she can convince me of what she sees in them.'_

x-x

Sasuke wandered through the old sectors of Konoha, appearing to be drifting. He already knew where Hinata was, but he hesitated to go there because the restraining order was still in effect.

When he left Sakura's house, he gave her the excuse that he needed to take a walk. He knew his wife had been against heading out on his own, but she didn't voice her objections, knowing he needed to distance himself from her for a while after their last argument. Society's collective memory was too short for its own good, and he didn't know how he was supposed to feel about Sakura's memory apparently being as short as the average civilian's. He knew it wasn't, he knew she was just trying to do what she thought was best for his mental health, but still. This was supposed to be a day of mourning, a day to remember the sacrifices made by those who perished in the war. Not a day to let old wounds fester, something that Sasuke himself was still doing.

All of this hate, and no one was letting it go. Not him, nor anyone else. They didn't know how, and weren't willing to learn. He insisted that he was strong enough to endure it, but somewhere deep down, he knew it was only a matter of time before something snapped, before tensions came to a head and someone lit a fire that would cause the whole world to burn. And yet, he still wanted to hope that this eventuality wouldn't occur, that someone would remember the strength Naruto wanted them to carry and inspire others to renew that strength.

After taking a few minutes to think it over, he decided the Hyūga could take their dumb restraining order and shove it up their collective asses, provided there was any space leftover from the five-meter poles that were still lodged in there. Even if they caught him violating the order, there wasn't a single thing they could actually do to stop him. Also, Kiba and Hanabi were wasting enough time searching for backup that it would take them at least an hour to figure out that they needed to search the cemetery.

Sasuke only needed two seconds. Activating his Rinnegan, he used Amenotejikara, swapping places with some flowers that were left at one of the tombstones closer to the entrance. He took a brief moment for his sight to adjust to his new surroundings, then continued walking towards the center, from where he already heard sniffles. Just as he expected, Hinata was at Naruto's grave. She obviously thought she was alone, because why else would she allow her emotions to run free? Sasuke cloaked his presence from her as he walked closer, aware that he was eavesdropping.

"I-I made you another scarf, Naruto-kun," he heard Hinata say to the tombstone. "It's a bit bigger this time but I figured you would be bigger now so I hope you like it." Hinata took off her purse and brought out the newly finished red scarf, neatly folded, and placed it on the marker, a few tears soaking it. "I know it's silly of me, bringing you a new scarf each time I visit. But do you remember when we first met? I felt so bad about your nice scarf getting ruined like that so I just want to repay you as best I can." She then stopped and took a minute to read the inscription on the grave:

 _ **Naruto Uzumak**_ _ **i**_

 _ **Born**_ _ **October 1**_ _ **0th**_ _ **,**_ _ **Year**_ _ **921 –**_ _ **Died**_ _ **October 10**_ _ **th**_ _ **,**_ _ **Year**_ _ **938**_

 _ **Hero of the world and a true Hokage**_

Hinata shook her head. What sort of higher being thought it was a joke to allow her hero to be killed on his own birthday, especially when he never had a reason to celebrate it? Hinata supposed that in a way, it was funny, if you had the ability to appreciate morbid, dark humor. But she was disillusioned, jaded. After everything that had happened, she no longer believed in the idea that gods existed. If it turned out that they did, and she ever had the chance to meet them, she would spit in their faces and curse them.

She was torn away from these thoughts by a rustle coming from behind her. Hinata activated her Byakugan, but realized the intruder was standing in her blind spot. But his presence felt familiar. And while she couldn't sense emotions, not like Naruto once could, the gloominess in the intruder's aura was unmistakable.

"I know you're there, Sasuke-san," Hinata announced. "You can come out now." Sasuke had let himself become distracted by listening to her personal torment. Hyūga or not, she shouldn't have been able to detect him even with her dōjutsu (visual technique). But he let that thought slide. He'd lost himself in Hinata's pain. Seeing her so torn made him grateful that Sakura had stubbornly refused to give up on him. No one should have to bear that kind of pain alone.

"You know you'll get sick if you stay out here much longer," Sasuke said. The autumn air was colder than normal, and while Hinata was somewhat dressed for the weather—her lavender jacket concealed a pink t-shirt worn over a gray long-sleeved shirt, along with a cream-colored skirt worn over black pants—Sasuke didn't like that she still paid so little attention to her well-being.

"That's okay. I won't stay long. I just wanted to give Naruto-kun his birthday present."

"Would you mind if I join you?" Sasuke asked. Hinata did not respond to his question; she wasn't sure how she felt about the former traitor Naruto called brother being here. Sasuke moved closer anyway, kneeling down beside her in front of the tombstone, where the two remained in silence for a while. Eventually Sasuke mustered up the strength to ask the question he should have asked a long time ago:

"Do you hate me, Hinata?"

Hinata curled up, pressing her face into her legs before answering, "Do you really want me to answer that?"

Actually, he didn't. Sasuke already knew the answer, or at least he thought he did, but Hinata's refusal to say it only made things worse between them. He was openly despised by the village, and that was fine; he could shoulder their hate with ease. But the one person who had more of a right to hate him than everyone else had never once said a single bad word about him since his return.

"If you don't answer, I'll only feel worse than I already do." Just as he expected, Hinata again didn't respond. Sasuke sighed. He didn't want to have to raise his voice to her, but she wasn't giving him much of a choice. "Say it, Hinata!" he demanded, gripping her shoulders and forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Say that you hate me, say that I should have died instead of Naruto! Just say something, anything, but don't leave me hanging like this!"

Hinata forced herself out of his grip and turned back around, once more burying her face in her legs. "I...I hate you," she lied.

"I don't believe I heard you right," Sasuke goaded her. "Say it again."

"I hate you," she repeated the lie, just a bit louder this time.

"Again!" he demanded. This time Hinata flung herself at him, knocking him onto his back and started beating his chest as hard as she could, and Sasuke just laid there and allowed it. Finally, she was delivering the punishment he deserved. She, who was the one person who deserved the right to cast judgment on him, the one person he would stand down for and allow to kill him.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" Hinata cried. "Why did Naruto-kun have to be your friend? Why did he have to adore Sakura-san? Why did he have to be on your team and not mine? Why did you take him from me?!" She raised her fist, which had gained a purple aura during her sorrow-fueled assault, intending to strike a blow that would put Sasuke in a coma, if not kill him outright. But her fist stopped just short of his head, and her arm fell to her side.

"I-I can't. I just can't do it!" Hinata collapsed, falling onto the ground next to him. Sasuke pushed himself off the ground and dusted off his coat and pants. He didn't understand why she would just stop like that. Sasuke knew Hinata wasn't helpless, even if she was no longer a kunoichi. He knew Black Zetsu had only survived her rage because it was literally impossible to kill the homunculus. If Hinata had struck Sasuke with that last blow, not even his Susanoo would have shielded him.

"Why did you stop?" he asked, utterly confounded. "Whatever it was you were going to do to hurt or kill me, I deserve it." But all he heard was Hinata's crying.

"I can't do it. I can't take you away from Sakura-san like Kurozetsu took Naruto-kun away from me. I can't force this pain on anyone. Even if you and Sakura-san weren't together, Naruto-kun always thought of you as the brother he never had. And besides..." She let her voice trail off. Her next words would require an immense amount of strength to escape her lips, both to say them, and to know that they had been heard.

"I don't hate you, Sasuke-san. I _can't_ hate you."

For the second time this evening, Sasuke was left stunned. "Then what do you truly feel about me?" he asked.

"I-I don't know, Sasuke-san! I really don't know! You want me to hate you, but I can't! All of my friends hate you, but it's for the wrong reason. They blame you for Naruto's death, but I know you're not responsible! I just can't hate you. But it still hurts...it hurts so much to be around you..."

In his mind, Sasuke heard the sound of porcelain shattering. Hinata's words had targeted his mask and knocked it away, breaking it beyond repair. Her warmth chased away the cold, emotionless front he put up to protect himself from everyone. But how could she find the strength to reach out to him when everyone else wanted nothing to do with him? How could she possibly forgive him? How could she say that those who hated him because of Naruto's death were in the wrong? How did she still have the strength to make those claims? He just did not understand how she was capable of these things.

"Hinata," Sasuke said, dropping to his knees and bowing in front of her. "I know this counts for nothing coming from me, but...I am truly sorry."

"Get up, Sasuke-san," Hinata commanded with her soft voice, her tears finally stopping, at least for now. It was with great reluctance that he complied. "If you really mean that, then you need to stop distancing yourself from Sakura-san. You two need to cherish each other, okay?"

"Hinata, I—"

"No amount of apologizing or atoning will bring Naruto-kun back," Hinata interrupted, giving him a weak smile. Then she left Sasuke frozen in place by doing something unexpected: she hugged him. This just made Sasuke feel even worse than ever, because he expected resentment, but received only compassion.

"Please stop," Sasuke said, his voice weak and his cheeks drenched in his own tears.

"Why?" Hinata asked, shaking her head. "I can't hate you, Sasuke-san. Maybe I'm being naïve, but if I hated you, Naruto-kun would be ashamed. He never hated you, so how can I?"

Sasuke hesitantly returned her embrace. "Hinata, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he sobbed, resting his head on her shoulder.

Hinata felt uncomfortable from that level of contact and let go of Sasuke. "You should go now," she told him, her face still adorning that sad smile. "Hanabi is no doubt looking for me and I would not wish for you to be captured because of that stupid restraining order, and Sakura-san must be worried about you." She went back and sat at the foot of Naruto's grave, holding back her tears for now.

"Don't worry about me. Everyone and their dogs know they can't actually enforce that order. Besides..." Sasuke turned away, but remained standing where he was, "they...they kinda tried to already," he confessed.

"W-what?" Hinata gasped.

"I overheard Hanabi yelling at Kiba near Ichiraku's, demanding that he help her find you. When I offered to lend them my assistance, your imōto responded by calling my wife a whore, and I...I punched her in the stomach for her offense," he said quietly, almost too quietly for Hinata to hear. "Do you hate me now?"

"No," Hinata said too quickly, even if it was the truth. "I cannot condone what you did, Sasuke-san, but neither can I condone what Hanabi said. Hanabi needs to get over herself. All of the Hyūga do."

"I see. I guess I'll take my leave now." Before he turned around to leave, he slipped a scroll inside Hinata's purse. However, this subtle action did not go unnoticed by Hinata, and as he finally started walking away, she stopped him, wanting to ask him one last question.

"Sasuke-san?"

"Yes?"

"Do...even though it was at the end...do you think Naruto-kun loved me?"

No matter how he answered that, Sasuke knew his words would only tear her wounded soul asunder. He had never seen any of Naruto's interactions with Hinata, but Sakura had told him many times how she noticed the way Naruto changed whenever he was around Hinata. While Naruto may have once had a crush on Sakura, both she and Sasuke realized that feeling had died shortly after Tsunade returned to Konoha. But with Hinata, it was different. With Hinata, Naruto was always able to show her his true self; with her, he was able to let his guard down all the way. She was the first person to ever receive that privilege.

Sasuke sighed and took off his cloak, wrapping it around Hinata with a gentleness of which he'd forgotten he was capable. "I believe he was always in love with you, Hinata, even if he never realized it until his last moments."

Sure enough, Hinata broke down again before he could finish speaking. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew he couldn't. No one could. So he walked away, though it tore at him to leave when he knew he should stay. As he disappeared into the night, he heard her faint whisper of gratitude.

x-x

Alone once again, Hinata wrapped Sasuke's cloak around herself as the wind picked up slightly. "It's just you and me now, Naruto-kun," she said to the tombstone. Sometimes when Hinata came here, she imagined she could see Naruto sitting across from her. He would be giving her his usual goofy grin, trying to tell her not to be sad. And tonight was one of those nights.

"Chōji-kun and Karui-san are expecting, y'know," she said, adopting her soul mate's verbal tick. "I hope Sasuke-san and Sakura-san will try to build their family soon. They deserve to be happy." Right as she said that, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Hinata wondered if her heart was acting up again. Her mind drifted back to the Chūnin Exams. The damage Neji-nii-san did to her during their fight in the preliminary round had been severe; he had very nearly killed her despite the fact he'd been stopped from dealing the final blow. In fact, her heart had stopped once when she was rushed into intensive care. Even though Kabuto had healed the damage, sometimes she would still feel it hurt.

Then again, maybe it was just the literal pain of heartbreak. Even after Naruto's death, Hinata often dreamed of the two of them living together inside a home, a real home that they built with their love. She envisioned herself knitting for their two children, but would stop when they saw Naruto return home and run outside with them, scolding them for running barefoot during the winter even as she brought her family into a giant hug. But it was just a pipe dream of a future that could never exist, and each time she woke up from the dream, it hurt just that much more to force her eyes open, to switch from a blissful dream to her miserable reality. And she didn't want to hurt anymore...

"If only you were still here, Naruto-kun..." Hinata reached inside her purse and pulled out a kunai she'd stolen from Hanabi, and started twirling it around dangerously. She'd been put on suicide watch for a long time after being discharged from military service, and even now wasn't allowed to have any ninja tools in her possession, but she always found a way to get her hands on one. Every now and then, she still wanted to just end the pain, but Shino's words to her on that godforsaken day stopped her each time. But what did it matter? Everyone else was moving on. Sasuke and Sakura more slowly than the others, but they were moving on. Well, Shino was the only other one of her old friends who didn't have a significant other, but he wasn't drowning in sorrow either; or if he was, he knew how to hide it better than her. He was teaching at the Academy now, passing on his knowledge to the next generation. But even Kiba had a girlfriend now, and between Kiba's budding relationship with Tamaki and Shino's new job, her old teammates didn't have the time to spend with their adoptive little sister anymore.

As for her real sister, she and Hanabi could not have been any further apart than they were now. The closeness they shared now was fake, whereas before the war it had been real. She knew Hanabi still loved her, but Hanabi wasn't choosing the best way to show her sisterly feelings. Hanabi was still overbearing, far more than their father, who would soon be too old to continue leading their clan and pass on the responsibility to Hanabi. The gulf which separated them would only grow even wider when Hiashi finally stepped down.

All of Hinata's friends still had their future ahead of them, but she didn't. She was the girl with no future. Yes, she knew she could still live a long and productive life, but what meaning would that life have, if she had to spend it alone? Hinata would never be able to love someone else like she loved Naruto. It had always been him, and only him; he was the very best person in the world and the only one who would ever be worthy of her feelings. So with him gone, what was left for her?

"I can't go on like this anymore..." Hinata said, her tears running out. "Forgive me, everyone..." She pointed the kunai at her chest and prepared to thrust it into her broken heart. This time Shino's words wouldn't hold her back. This time she would end it...

"You know Naruto would never want you to do what you are about to do," a deep, gravely voice said. Hinata dropped the kunai and activated her Byakugan, but could not find anyone.

"Where are you?" she asked, demanding the intruder reveal himself. She scanned her surroundings, but could not find anyone in the cemetery or anywhere nearby. Inwardly, she was panicking. _'Why can't I see anyone? Is my Byakugan malfunctioning?'_ she wondered. She hoped that it was just because she hadn't used her eyes in so long, leaving her out of practice, that allowed the intruder to escape her view. If her sight was being blocked...

"You need not concern yourself with the state of your eyes," the voice said again. "I cannot be seen by the living unless I will it. I suppose you could call it one of the perks of transcendence." Suddenly, a figure began materializing in front of Hinata, startling her. A few moments later, Hinata saw an old man levitating in the air, and she was left awe-struck by his appearance. The spirit donned a white full-length kimono and wielded a dual-headed shakujō in his right hand, and had several black orbs spinning in a circle behind him. He also had horn-like protrusions from his forehead and a goatee extending to his waist. But the most astonishing aspect of his appearance was his eyes. The spirit possessed the Rinnegan.

"Good evening, young Hyūga," the man continued. "I do apologize for my intrusion, but considering the circumstances, I think you will come to agree that such an intervention was necessary," he added, indicating Hinata's dropped kunai with his shakujō. Hinata almost had to force her jaw back into place. She hadn't seen this man during the war, but everyone in the clan still knew of him and the history he wrote, even if he was only a myth now.

"Hagoromo-sama!" Hinata exclaimed, dropping to her knees and bowing.

"Please stand," the now-identified Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, Sage of the Six Paths, said. "And you do not need to treat me with such formality." Hinata sensed that he would allow her to speak freely. In an instant, her facial expression changed from one of shock to one of ire.

"It's not polite to eavesdrop," she pointed out.

"And yet Indra—excuse me, Sasuke—was permitted to do the same thing a short while ago." Hagoromo paused and cleared his throat. "My apologies for the slip. But I think anyone would have issues with their memory after their spirits have wandered the earth for nine hundred years. Besides," he continued, willing the dropped kunai into his left hand, "I cannot allow you to end your own life, not when there is still so much that is needed from you, Byakugan Princess."

Hinata sighed, but Hagoromo easily felt the underlying anger in her voice. "If the only reason you are here is to tell me not to go through with this, then you will need to get in line."

"Does it not matter to you that Naruto would not want you to end your life?" But Hinata was sick of everyone giving her that excuse. She had heard it for four years and would not hear it a second longer.

"Naruto-kun wanted a lot of things, but he ended up with nothing!" Hinata shouted. "Why don't you work _that_ into your logic?"

"Okay, okay!" Hagoromo shouted back. Hinata knew she would have to get her eyes checked after this, because there was simply no way that she was seeing the Rikudō Sennin wave his hands in surrender. "After our conversation concludes, if you still seek to self-terminate, I will make no effort to stop you. However, while I am here, I would ask that you hear me out. I have a certain proposition I want to make."

Hinata sighed again. It wasn't every day that the Rikudō Sennin appeared and sought a favor, so she figured that she would humor him. Only one person, who happened to be just as dead as the Sage, was more worthy of such a courtesy from her. "What do you want?"

"I want what you want," Hagoromo said, summing up everything in this simple, yet audacious statement.

"Excuse me?" Hinata took a few steps back, disbelieving that he had just said that. Her emotional state was best likened to a whirlwind, one that was mere moments away from engulfing both her and the spirit who sought answers from her.

"Both of us desire for Naruto to live," the Sage clarified. "I cannot give you a more detailed explanation of my motives at this time, but what matters is that if you are willing to work with me, I will have the power to fulfill that desire. You will be granted a second chance with Naruto. But only if you choose to aid me in this dark hour."

Hinata slowly started to approach Hagoromo, her actions now controlled by her increasing suspicions. "Why can you not tell me more?"

"Because if you say yes, then what I will do next will be a perversion of the laws of nature and physics. My abilities are already great enough that every one of them would be classified as a kinjutsu (forbidden technique) if they were attained by others. But this particular ability I seek to utilize goes beyond kinjutsu. This ability I would use is one even the gods would forbid. Trust me when I say that I would not consider this unless there was no alternative course of action. Perhaps you may find this funny, given what your world knows of me, but you must realize that while I am transcended, I am not omnipotent or omniscient."

Hinata froze in place, attempting to comprehend what the Rikudō Sennin had just told her, but finding that she couldn't. And not only that, she didn't have the time to try. She heard more voices calling out for her, familiar voices. The voices of friends, of family. Hinata turned around to see Hanabi, Shino, Kiba, Tamaki and their canine and feline familiars rushing towards her, driven by fear for her safety.

"Onē-sama, please come home!" Hanabi pleaded.

"Hinata-san, I must ask you to step away from that man," Shino said. Hagoromo laughed at that. It wasn't every day that he found someone with the temerity to challenge him for the sake of a friend.

"It is now or never," Hagoromo said with great urgency, tuning out the voices of Hinata's friends as though he and Hinata were phasing into another dimension. He said this while he reached out his arm and offered his shakujō to her.

"Before I decide," Hinata said, "I just have one question. Will I truly be with Naruto-kun, as you claim?"

The Rikudō Sennin smiled. "That I promise."

One last time, Hinata turned to face her friends and family, who were breaking down as they tried to reach out for her, to pull her back into their world. Between staying with them, and accepting the second chance she longed to have...her choice wasn't a choice at all. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay here! Not when Naruto-kun still needs me!" She reached out to grip Hagoromo's shakujō, and it was the last she saw of her world before everything faded to darkness.

x-x

 **A/N: Well there it is, chapter two, and for those of you who read the original you know what to expect next chapter. I have to admit I teared up a little after my editor sent me the revisions. I made the words but he seemed to give them life. It's astounding. The good news is that the rest of the story won't be nearly as heart breaking; that's gonna be my other fanfic. Speaking of which, I updated this story first because the first chapter was posted later than I had wanted. But after this it will be back to switching between each story by chapter.**

 **(Spoiler alert)**

 **On an unrelated note, Sarada is confirmed Sakura's biological daughter so rejoice SS fans I have not become an anti of that ship. I still don't necessary like it but if it makes you feel better I only pairing I ship is NH. In regards to other pairs for this story, I strictly follow the manga, nothing more, nothing less. Anyway please leave me more reviews. I was quite happy with the turnout from the first chapter and I would like to see more of that!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning: some graphic violence, blood, and mentions of rape are present in the second and third scenes of this chapter.**

x-x

 **Chapter 3: A Dark Alternative**

Hinata woke up in bright sunlight, and did not recognize her surroundings at all. She was surrounded by trees, but noticed a little clearing not too far off, and saw two figures who she could not recognize from her current distance. She stood up but felt weakened, and almost at once she knew that something was wrong with her body. Upon further investigation, she found that her hair had grown long again and her height seemed to have decreased by about three centimeters. What in the world was going on?

"I apologize for not explaining any of this earlier," Hagoromo said, breaking her out of her trance. "What you are now experiencing is one of several potential side effects of time travel."

Hinata spun around and sure enough, the Sage of Six Paths was there, leaning against a tree. "Side effect? Time travel? What do you mean?" She was utterly confused. While she was aware of the concept of time travel due to reading through some old texts, she had always imagined it as nothing more than a superstition, or a writing mechanic restricted to science fiction. And none of those texts ever mentioned reversed aging as a possible side effect.

"Those texts you read only contain partial, incomplete truths," Hagoromo said, as though he possessed the ability to read the displaced girl's mind. "The complexity of time travel is beyond the comprehension of most humans. Not only that, the ability to swim through the time stream is older than you realize. Time travel is an ability that predates chakra, making it older than my mother and the artificial moon orbiting your world. As the ability is older than chakra, it does not use any chakra to perform. However, as I told you before we arrived here, tapping into this power is a trespass against those who reside in the realm of the gods."

That did not clarify anything for her. In fact, Hinata was more confused then ever. What sort of jutsu had a requirement that wasn't based on chakra? "What...how, but, this is…" She couldn't even form a proper sentence as she suffered from information overload.

Hagoromo sighed. "It's alright, child. You do not need to understand the fine print. But I should inform you that while this ability I used does not require chakra, it comes with an entirely different set of costs and drawbacks." Hinata did not like the sound of that. It was never good to sacrifice something that was more valuable than chakra.

"The reason your appearance has changed is because your being is not connected to this timeline. You are aware of the butterfly effect, I assume?"

"You mean, kill a butterfly in the past, dramatically change the future?" Hinata asked.

"That is correct, Hyūga-san. And you are the instrument that was chosen to kill the butterfly. While you can change certain events in the future or prevent others, some things simply cannot be altered no matter what efforts are made. It is in the nature of your species to repeat the same mistakes, over and over. That is the reason mankind will always be plagued by war. In the point in time we just came from, the world you knew was at peace. It could end tomorrow, or it could last for another hundred years, but eventually war will resume and the world will require yet another savior. But do not fret over that. We are here to prevent something far worse than war." He took a short break to let everything settle on the young Hyūga before he went on. "Your primary objective in this time is to prevent Naruto's death and restore balance to the world. How you choose to go about completing this task is entirely up to you, provided that you abide by certain rules."

Hinata could understand that she had to prevent Naruto-kun from dying without drastically altering the lives of her friends; one wrong move could have dire consequences, such as stopping Sai and Ino from getting together, or enabling Madara to actually succeed in his plan to trap the world in the Infinite Tsukuyomi. This didn't frighten her. But what the Sage said next did.

"Now, while the ripples created in the time stream will slowly change the course of the future, you yourself will feel the changes more quickly than the others, as you are the one causing them. The changes you felt in your body when we arrived here, for example? They are one such effect, as your very presence here has already caused a change. What you thought was reversed aging is, in actuality, the result of you beginning to merge with your counterpart from this point in the timeline."

Hinata was not happy in the slightest to hear that proclamation from Hagoromo. "Wha-what did you say?!" she said.

"That is the truth of the matter. The soul is not meant to be duplicated, and yet your presence here means that there are two versions of Hinata Hyūga currently in existence in this reality. The moment you plunged into the time stream, time began attempting to compensate for the imbalance your presence in the past has created. As there can never be two of the same person, if a violation of this natural law ever occurs, as it did when I brought you here, time will do whatever is necessary to repair the damage caused by such an intrusion. However, you can take some comfort in knowing that even though this merger is inevitable and cannot be stopped, it can be slowed down."

"Well, I have a better idea! Take me back home! Even if I wanted to do what you're saying, I could never risk altering my friends' lives, not when everyone is happy!"

"That is impossible. I do not know where you acquired your faulty information, but time travel is a one way trip for each individual. Since the process of merging has already started, the time stream itself is preventing you from making a return voyage. Ergo, the moment you accepted my proposition, was the moment you marooned yourself in the past. Whenever you defy the laws of nature, nature responds to fix what was broken. You can fight animals, ninja, and even beings who proclaim themselves gods, but you cannot fight a universal law. As for your statement about everyone in your future being happy, well, perhaps I should do something to clear up that misconception as well." The Rikudō Sennin did not wait for a response before touching Hinata's forehead with his shakujō, causing her to black out once more.

x-x

(Vision from Hinata's future)

Sasuke did not waste any time returning home, as for the first time in years, he was optimistic. Activating his Rinnegan, he used Amenotejikara to again switch places with the flowers he'd used the technique on to arrive at the cemetery. He couldn't pinpoint what it was that made him feel optimistic, but he had a feeling he couldn't ignore. He'd felt the presence of the Rikudō Sennin at the cemetery, and was certain that Hagoromo had something up his sleeve to set everything right.

However, he also knew he was in an awkward situation as far as Konoha was concerned. He had knowingly violated the restraining order placed on him, and not only had he gone to see Hinata against the Hyūga Clan's will, he had also assaulted her younger sister, Hanabi. And he had no idea how the Hyūga would respond once word of his minor crimes reached their ears.

Sasuke felt he had to get Sakura out of their house and take her away from Konoha as soon as possible. He hadn't sensed any onlookers during his visit, but he was certain that someone had been watching him as he tried to confront and comfort Hinata. If it was the Hyūga, he knew they would try to use his wife against him in order to see to it that he was punished for the higher crimes he'd committed in the past, despite knowing he was forgiven by the Five Kage. He knew Sakura was strong; she was the prized apprentice of Fifth Hokage Tsunade Senju, after all; but he also knew she had not been in combat for years and he feared that she wouldn't be able to fight off her attackers if they came in force.

Unfortunately for Sasuke, his worst fears were realized the moment he returned home. There were dozens of Hyūga surrounding the house, along with many others who still held a deep-seeded grudge against him for the sins of his past and had sided with the Hyūga mob in their desire for retribution.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sasuke demanded.

"Doing what the Kage would not and passing judgment on you for your sins," a cold voice answered. Sasuke could only watch as Hiashi Hyūga walked out of his home with Iroha and Hoheto following him, the latter pair restraining Sakura. Worse than his current inability to respond to the hostage situation was Sakura's current condition; she was unconscious and badly bruised, her breaths were shallow, labored and irregular, her arms were restrained, Iroha was pressing the cutting edge of Hiashi's ceremonial katana to her neck...

...and the worst part of all was the manji tattooed onto her forehead. Hiashi had marked Sakura with the Caged Bird Cursed Seal.

"You're already fucking dead, _Hyūga,"_ Sasuke snarled, his Sharingan and Rinnegan locked on the Hyūga patriarch's Byakugan. "Release my wife now and maybe the rest of your clan won't have to follow you into hell tonight," he added as the ethereal ribcage of his Susanoo began forming around him, shielding him from attack as he began walking, involuntarily, towards his enemy.

"Not another step, _Uchiha,"_ Hiashi warned, as Iroha pressed the clan head's sword against Sakura just hard enough to break the skin. "Though I would not be surprised to learn that her life still has little meaning to you; after all, you did try to murder Haruno on several occasions. And yet, she was still a staunch defender of you, the biggest in fact, despite everything you tried to sever your bond with her. As it would turn out, her devotion to you is as pathetic as her combat skills. You know, we tried to do this peacefully; we offered her a chance to come quietly, but she insisted on fighting us. Such pathetic devotion to a traitor. Is it any wonder Naruto-san was never treated kindly by your bitch?"

"Watch your tongue, Hyūga!"

"It appears as though I've touched a sore spot. Does the truth anger you that much, Uchiha? This is a matter of honor, something you know nothing about. Had you and Haruno never inserted yourselves into the equation, my eldest daughter's mental state would not have deteriorated so greatly. You two never cared about Naruto-san, and your actions stole him away from the one person who truly deserved his affections."

"Honor, my ass," Sasuke snarled, spitting in Hiashi's face. "You're the most dishonorable piece of worse-than-trash I know, Hyūga bastard, and you aren't winning any Father of the Year awards either. You claim that you know what was best for Hinata, yet you fucked up her psyche more thoroughly than I ever could. As for Sakura, she and Hinata were still friends. Even while she was pursuing me, my wife did more to support Hinata than you ever did, and that included helping her with Naruto! But you, on the other hand, destroyed her self-confidence, stole her birthright from her, disowned her, made her live in fear of the seal you put on your servants and on Sakura, and more or less turned Hinata's childhood into a living hell even worse than what you, and everyone else in this goddamned village, cast Naruto into!"

Most of the Hyūga and other bystanders recoiled from that outburst, their support for Hiashi's campaign against Sasuke slowly fading. Even Hiashi's poker face vanished just for a moment, twisting at the truth Sasuke spewed like venom, but he quickly rebuilt his composure. His own dirty laundry may be exposed, but he believed he still held all the cards and only needed to hold out a little longer to make the Uchiha fold for the last time.

"Once again, you have the wrong impression," Hiashi said, far too coolly for anyone's comfort. "While I will readily admit I was not the best father, I still did everything in my power to secure Hinata's happiness. The moment I learned she had developed feelings for Naruto-san, I took every necessary measure to bring them together, even though it meant pushing her away. I actually brought the matter to Hiruzen, but he would not hear it; in fact, his response was the opposite of what I desired, believing that her feelings would produce unwelcome complications. And yet the hypocrite perpetuated the existence of the Team Seven Love Triangle, going against the logic he used to deny my daughter her fondest desire." Oh, joy. Hiashi was really going to waste time on this excessive monologue while Sakura's life hung in the balance? He was going to spoon-feed Sasuke these lies when there was only one truth, a truth that needed to be acted on now?

"When Sarutobi would not listen to reason, I next tried approaching Umino-san, offering him any and every bribe he could possibly want, if he was willing to focus more on helping Naruto-san and help him and Hinata be on the same team. But Iruka-san also refused. He claimed he could not show favoritism, and said that the students had to prove themselves on their own merit. However, at the time Umino-san was still a victim of his own hate. I wanted to destroy him, but I couldn't, because doing so would have also hurt Naruto-san deeply. If it weren't for his bigotry, I would have admired his resistance to my offers. But by the time he was no longer afflicted by hate and could be brought to reason, it was too late.

"My options were becoming increasingly limited. Everything I tried went against the Hyūga Clan. The elders were aligned against Naruto-san, too set in their ways to realize the benefits of what I sought to achieve. Had they learned of my actions, it would have destroyed my credibility within the clan. Try to picture what their reaction would have been to learning that Hiashi Hyūga had gone soft. Even in the best-case scenario, it would have been a political nightmare. Worst-case, they would have..." His voice trailed off, his composure faltering for a brief second. Maybe some part of him had cared after all?

"As for your claim that I disinherited Hinata? I knew full well that she had no desire to lead the clan. I was hoping to bide my time longer, seeking a better solution, but the elders brought the issue of succession to a head and forced me to address it. When my two daughters were forced to fight in order to determine who would become the rightful heiress, Hinata deliberately threw the fight. I still believe Hinata was the person the clan needed to lead us into the future, but knowing that taking that responsibility meant she would harm, and have to harm her younger sister, she chose not to accept. She rejected that life. So I did what was necessary to spare her from it. Though I will admit that I could have gone about it differently. The clan needed a strong leader, a strict leader, but these necessary qualities did not translate well into raising a family. I was too harsh on Hinata, and she responded poorly.

"However, when you showed your true colors and defected to Orochimaru, things were finally starting to look up. During the Chūnin Exams, Naruto-san noticed Hinata and bonded with her, and while he did not realize it, he had also begun to harbor romantic feelings for my daughter. I had never been more wrong in my optimism. Your _wife,_ _"_ Hiashi spat the word with no small amount of venom, "had coerced Naruto-san into making a promise, and for all those years he spent trying to keep that promise, all the times he rescued her from death—several of those times being from you, I might add—all Naruto-san ever received for his efforts was her continued abuse of him.

"And did you know that when Madara left the two of you on the verge of death during the war, she actually had to think about who she would choose to save? The very idea that she would be conflicted over choosing between the hero Naruto-san was, and the traitor you still are, eludes my comprehension abilities to this very day.

"But the worst part of all? Hinata was so selfless, she was willing to suffer from heartbreak if it meant Naruto-san would be happy. For his sake, she assisted him in his pursuit of you, and also tried to bring him and _this,"_ he indicated the unconscious and still captive Sakura, not even recognizing her as a human being anymore, "together."

"H-how do you know all of that?" Sasuke asked, taking several steps back. No one, not even Sakura, had ever told him about what Hiashi claimed had happened during the four years he spent away from Konoha as a missing-nin.

"A very good question, Sasuke, but I'm afraid Hiashi isn't going to live long enough to answer it, or any other question you might have for him," a new voice answered. A few moments later, Kakashi appeared between Sasuke and Hiashi, wearing full battle gear and flanked by a dozen Anbu ready to take all necessary actions to quell this uprising.

"It is a pleasure to see you, Hokage-sama, but I will have to ask you to stand aside," Hiashi said.

"You're in no position to be making demands, Hiashi," Kakashi said. "You've always been pushing forward your own agenda, and my predecessors saw right through it. You claim that you loved Hinata, but all this time you were just using her to claim control over Naruto and use his genes and the bijū he contained to strengthen the position of your clan. And now you're trying to coerce me into following your twisted agenda as well. Sorry, Hiashi, but it will never work."

"On the contrary, I am in the perfect position to make demands," Hiashi continued, ignoring what Kakashi just said. "Believe what you will about my motives, but you are attempting to interfere in a clan matter, and you have no right to do so."

"Bullshit." Some of the bystanders were left gaping at Kakashi's choice word. "This is not a clan matter. This is vigilantism, blackmail, kidnapping, illegal use of jutsu, terrorism, and worst of all, _treason,"_ and at that last word, the Anbu squad tensed up, poised to strike down the Hyūga patriarch the moment they thought the Sixth was ready to give the order.

"And what of Sasuke's treason?" Hiashi asked, again allowing Kakashi's interpretation of the situation to fly right over his head. "The leaders of the Five Great Shinobi Nations may have pardoned him for his crimes, but the Hyūga Clan has not. I merely wish to see to it that justice is served, since you are still unwilling.

"I will only ask you one more time, Hokage-sama. If you do not accede, the result will be a civil war, one Konoha cannot afford to suffer. The Hyūga, one of the noble clans of Konoha and the greatest among them, have done their part to aid the recovery of the village, but if word should get out that the village betrayed us, shunned our economic and military contributions, the village would collapse. Maintain your current stance, and this outcome is inevitable. There is no victory to be found in challenging us now."

"The Hyūga are the only traitors here, Hiashi," Kakashi said. "You hurt one of my former students and threaten to jeopardize the future of the village because I won't kill the other. Your actions today have condemned you to the same fate as the Uchiha." That statement caused many of the bystanders to start murmuring. Why was their Hokage openly discussing his intent to slaughter an entire clan?

Kakashi then turned to his former student and said, "Sasuke, as personal as this is to you, I'll have to ask you to stay out of this. As Hokage, it is my responsibility to put down the Hyūga Clan's rebellion against the village."

"I can't do that," the Uchiha replied. "Once this is over, I'll submit to any punishment you deem fit for me to receive, but until then," and in a moment, he was now standing in front of Iroha and Hoheto, his arm extended towards them, while Sakura slumped down in front of Kakashi, "the bloodline of Hamura has betrayed this world for the last time. The Hyūga Clan will die tonight, but it will be by my hands."

"Sasuke, this isn't what—"

"Almighty Push!" Sasuke shouted. The Deva Path abilities of his Rinnegan instantly overwhelmed the entire mob, knocking them back hundreds of meters and destroying many of the surrounding buildings, which were all thankfully evacuated by this time.

When he was satisfied with the damage done, certain the Hyūga could not even think about attempting to strike back, Sasuke turned around and demanded, "Give her medical attention now!" But neither Kakashi nor any of the Anbu moved. "What are you doing? I said—"

"Sasuke...it's too late," Kakashi cut him off as he removed his fingers from Sakura's neck and let her lifeless body fall onto the ground. "Sakura was dead before we arrived here. She died the moment they put their seal on her."

If Hinata's words to him had shattered the mask Sasuke wore in front of the rest of the world, her father's response to them had seared the broken pieces into his skin and mutilated his face, transforming his visage once more into the very embodiment of the Curse of Hatred, the very same curse his friends had tried so hard to lift. Naruto and Hinata may have been the ones who pulled his soul out of the darkness, but they were gone from this world now, and Hiashi pushed him right back into the depths of hell by murdering the last person who was still capable of exorcising his demons.

"Kakashi," Sasuke said, tears of blood falling down his cheeks. "Why did you let this happen? You knew the Hyūga would go after her because of me, and yet you didn't protect her from them!"

"You need to calm down, Sasu—"

"No," and before anyone could react, Kakashi had his legs swept out from under him while his Anbu were engulfed in the black flames of Amaterasu. "You need to prepare a few hundred torture chambers in hell for new arrivals," Sasuke said, his eyes and voice as devoid of life as his enemies soon would be, and these were the last words Kakashi would ever hear, as the Uchiha pressed the palm of his left hand against the Sixth Hokage's head, then pulled away, ripping Kakashi's soul out of his body.

"Anyone who's watching and listening, know this," the Uchiha announced to the dwindling, petrified crowd. "From this moment on, I am your Hokage. I will take charge of the entire world. And may the gods have mercy on anyone who stands against me, because I will show none as I crush all who oppose my **revolution."**

Slowly, his paces measured with sinister purpose, Sasuke walked forward towards the fallen Hiashi, who struggled to get back on his feet as the instrument of his clan's demise approached. "And since you are the one who brought this fate upon us by murdering my wife, you Hyūga _disease,_ I'll start by cleansing this world of that disease," he told the disgraced Hyūga patriarch, his left hand channeling Lightning chakra for the deadly legacy Kakashi left to him during his time on Team Seven, the Chidori.

"At least, in my last moments, I can take a small measure of comfort in knowing that you'll have to suffer the pain from this loss for the rest of your miserable life, even though you have shown your true colors once again tonight and now choose to inflict the same pain on us," Hiashi replied with the calmness of a man who had come to terms with his failures and accepted his impending death.

Reality faded to black right as the avenger's hand pierced through the heart of his enemy, who was nothing more than one in a long list of betrayers for the deranged Uchiha to purge as he scorched the world with the flames of his hatred and established his new order over the burnt remnant.

x-x

(Several months after the subjugation of Konoha)

The wind blew past the Uchiha at the cemetery, but he did not feel the chill. He felt nothing. He was numb, both physically and emotionally, as he stared down at the graves in front of him.

The first grave belonged to his older brother, Itachi, though the casket that was buried there was empty. After he exterminated the entire Hyūga Clan and everyone else who openly defied his tyrannical rule, his first act as the Seventh Hokage was to arrange a proper memorial service for Itachi. Amazingly, the survivors of his initial purge still put up resistance, but Sasuke, not knowing why he could still seek to avoid bloodshed, revealed the truth of what really happened the night of the Uchiha Massacre. He revealed that Danzō had ordered Itachi to carry out the massacre to prevent an all-out war, that most of the Uchiha—the ones who were innocent of any involvement in Fugaku's planned coup—had actually been murdered by Obito, and that Itachi had taken the fall for the sake of the village. Reluctantly, the sixty percent of Konoha that was still alive after the bloodiest night in the village's history submitted.

Aside from the first forty-eight hours, the transition of power to the Seventh Hokage had gone over smoothly. However, almost everyone in Konoha still objected to his rule, including what was left of the Konoha Eleven and their significant others, but none actually tried to eliminate him, deeming the risk of death too high and the odds of success too low. Well, none except Tenten, who had attacked Sasuke out in the open and had only just been saved from certain death by Lee's intervention, begging the Seventh to spare his teammate, claiming she was simply overwhelmed by stress. An understandable excuse, given the enormous stress Sasuke's actions had put on the entire population, and Sasuke had allowed her to live, but made it clear he would not show the same leniency in the future. Karui and Ino were in no condition to accept an assassination mission; what with the former being pregnant and the latter appearing to suffer from morning sickness herself. Chōji was more confused than anything, Shino had simply allowed his kikaichū's buzzing to transmit his thoughts, and Kiba and Tamaki were having the hardest time of the lot, trying to keep their more savage instincts in check.

As for Shikamaru...

"What's the bright idea this time?" Sasuke had asked during a meeting, looking at the flak jacket and forehead protector that were unceremoniously dropped on his desk.

"I'm resigning. Do what you want, but this mess is too troublesome for me to bother with," the Nara had answered. It was yet another vote of no confidence, in polite terms. A more blunt way of looking at it, was Shikamaru telling Sasuke to go fuck himself. It was also one of the dumbest things Shikamaru had ever done.

To the astonishment of all of Shikamaru's friends, Sasuke merely smiled. "I gladly accept your resignation. After all, I already had someone else in mind to be my advisor," he said, and a few moments later, Orochimaru emerged from the floor of the Hokage's office, to the horror of all but Sasuke.

"N-No," Ino whispered. She knew Sasuke had gone insane, but she didn't think he would stoop so low as to bring back another one of Konoha's worst traitors.

"Kukuku," Orochimaru chuckled. "Sasuke-kun had the most intriguing proposal for me when he seized power. Never once had I imagined I would willingly step foot inside this tower, and as Sasuke-kun's new advisor, no less."

"How far have you fallen, Sasuke?" Sai asked.

"They say to keep your enemies close," Sasuke replied, shrugging off the former ROOT shinobi's accusations. "Orochimaru's reputation should be more than enough to keep the village in line while I attend to my campaign and bring the rest of the world to heel. He is authorized to reeducate anyone who continues to defy me."

The memory ended a few seconds later, as he dismissed his former comrades. Sasuke walked over a few steps to view the grave of his wife, but again did not register any emotion as he gazed at the plaque. Perhaps Sasuke still loved her even now, but he firmly believed that the two of them should never have met. After all, it was his fault that she had chased him, his fault that she had fell for him, and most importantly, it was his fault that she perished.

Another memory flashed through his mind. It was from the day when he'd felt his changes truly become permanent. It happened when he'd summoned Karin Uzumaki to his office, wanting to give her what he thought she still desired. He'd had another thing coming.

"Karin, I would like to ask for your hand in marriage," Sasuke had asked the moment she was settled in. Her response was the exact opposite of what he'd expected. Rather than blush, or act surprised, she'd stood up, bent over across his desk, and slapped him in the face.

"You sick, twisted fuck!" Karin snapped.

"You would prefer to die?" Sasuke asked, rubbing the red mark on his cheek.

"You have the audacity to propose to me, after everything you've put me through? You used me as a healing battery, then tried to dispose of me when I was no longer useful to you, and now you dare to pop the question, just days after your wife died? Just days after you personally murdered forty percent of Konoha?

"I'm over you, Sasuke. Your chakra is even more disgusting than Suigetsu's, or Orochimaru's, or anyone else. You're nothing like the man who saved me all those years ago, the man I was once obsessed with. And to think I was happy for you when you agreed to marry Sakura! I won't agree to this! What you're doing is wrong on more levels than anyone can count!"

Sasuke grabbed her wrist and twisted it. "Listen here, bitch. I was only asking as a courtesy. You have no say in the matter. You pointed out that you were my tool once, and that's exactly what you'll be again, only now you'll be the tool I use to revive my clan."

Karin yanked her wrist free and growled, "This time, I'm going to do what I should have done years ago. I'm going to stop you." A moment later, ethereal chains shot out from her hands and coiled around Sasuke, restraining his movements. She then threw her arms up, slamming Sasuke into the ceiling.

The Uchiha simply laughed, his voice muffled by the hole in the ceiling, but it was no less chilling. Before Karin could react, black flames trailed down the Adamantine Attacking Chains, racing towards her. She had no choice but to cancel her technique, but by the time the chains vanished, the flames had already reached her and lit up her clothes. Karin howled in rage, but felt no agony; the flames were extinguished once they had burned away her outfit, leaving her naked and vulnerable to Sasuke's advances.

Sasuke landed on the floor, slowly striding towards his former female subordinate in Taka, whom he would make subservient to him once more. "I will take what is mine, as an Uchiha should," he said, pushing Karin's back against the door. A few seconds later, a purple barrier surrounded the office, preventing anyone from entering, or from seeing or hearing what happened next.

Sasuke terminated the memory. He had taken no pleasure in the raping of Karin, not the first time, nor the many other times he'd forced her to bed him with the goal of creating a genetically superior offspring by combining his Uchiha genes with the coveted life force of the Uzumaki. In fact, he had not felt anything at all, not even after he confirmed that Karin was pregnant. As the next two months since the first violation passed by, he simply stopped feeling.

The last death knell of his soul came shortly after, when the annual Five Kage Summit convened in Sunagakure no Sato (the Village Hidden by Sand). Unbeknownst to Sasuke, Karin had managed to sneak Temari out of Konoha with a letter that would warn the other villages about what would soon befall them. It was the first piece of intelligence the outside world had acquired from Konoha since the death of Kakashi. The other Kage were galvanized against Sasuke, and they all brought their villages' strongest shinobi to Suna, meaning to end the Uchiha's tyranny before he enslaved the entire planet.

Their resistance was futile. In spite of the advance warning, their combined efforts were as useless against Sasuke as they had been when they fought the Reanimation of Madara. The battle was even reminiscent of the fight against Madara: Sasuke activated his Perfect Susanoo as A lunged at him, causing the Suna Council building to explode, killing or gravely injuring nearly all of the thousands of shinobi who had assembled outside to join the battle when it became necessary. Then he produced sixteen Shadow Clones, all of which had their own Perfect Susanoo manifested, and assigned four clones to each of the other Kage—a move taken right out of Madara's playbook. All of the clones further enhanced their Susanoo using the Preta Path to take chakra from the nine bijū, who were trapped in Planetary Devastation and hovering above Sunagakure. All of the Kage's strongest techniques were quickly proven to be utterly useless against this cataclysmic assault on their entire way of life. A's Lightning Armor-enhanced nin-taijutsu could not make a single crack in the armors; Mei's acid and lava could not melt the constructs, and even Ōnoki's Kekkei Tōta, granting him the ability to deconstruct almost any substance on an atomic level, failed. Actually, the Fence-Sitter didn't even get a chance to use the Particle Style; he was targeted first and pierced by four Indra's Arrows, and the extreme lightning that flowed though his body incinerated him before the energy surge caused his charred corpse to explode.

The extremely one-sided battle lasted just a few minutes. Any ninjutsu that had even a remote possibility of piercing through Susanoo was absorbed by using the Preta Path, and as the resistance against him grew weaker, Sasuke only continued to grow stronger. Ultimately, all of his adversaries fell in this battle.

All except one, the only man who had shared the same closeness to Naruto as him: Gaara of the Desert.

"I...I shall not die here!" a bloodied and ravaged Gaara yelled, summoning the last of his strength to play his trump card. Much to Sasuke's shock, he and all of his Shadow Clones were somehow trapped from underneath by Gaara's sand. Then they all covered their left eyes, howling in pain. They had overused the Rinnegan and now they were at Gaara's mercy as his sand slipped past their absolute defense, immobilizing them.

"Iron Sand Annihilation!" Gaara cried out, making a fist with his right hand. An unnatural screech came from the seventeen Susanoo constructs as they began cracking apart. Moments later, the ethereal entities exploded, and a massive shock wave leveled what was left of Suna, though there were no casualties as all civilians had been evacuated prior to the Summit, all other shinobi marshaled for this battle were already dead, and Gaara himself was shielded from the blast by his sand, though the sand dome which protected him melted into glass and crumbled away once the energy from the blast dissipated. And while the Shadow Clones were all destroyed, Sasuke himself was still standing, but he too was now covered in blood, and his left arm hung limp and would need to be amputated.

"H-how...how did you gain the Magnet Style?" Sasuke asked, limping away from the epicenter and towards Gaara despite his momentary weakening. "And how did you create such a powerful ninjutsu, one that rivals my own?"

An exhausted Gaara collapsed and coughed up some blood before answering, "The people of Takigakure granted my village access to their liquid chakra shortly after the war. My research and development division had developed a special machine, I forget what it was called, that allowed them to fuse the liquid chakra with explosive clay acquired from Iwagakure. They then asked me to lend my iron sand, a parting gift from Shukaku who helped me awaken my Kekkei Genkai, to the concoction. Once the process was complete, I was asked to manipulate their creation. Though the mixture was in liquid form, I found that I could move it as easily as I could move sand, and what's more, it was many times more powerful than any weapon ever created, a power you have now experienced first-hand. Do not let this power get your hopes up, Sasuke Uchiha. The liquid sand was created for my use only, and the shinobi who were involved in its creation are all dead, thanks to you."

"I see." Sasuke shook his head and coughed up his own blood as he continued his advance. "That's too bad. But it may yet be beneficial to let you live."

"Why?" Gaara cried out, struggling to stand. "Why are you doing this, Sasuke? How did you let yourself fall this far? After all the times Naruto tried to save you, you still end up like this?"

"Don't you dare use those memories against me!" Sasuke snapped, lunging at Gaara and grabbing his throat with his right hand. "Naruto did save me! The problem was the rest of you bastards wouldn't accept the fact that I wanted redemption! You fell prey to the Curse of Hatred even as I was rescued from it! You kept smothering me with your hate, expecting me to react like the monster you thought I was, and I tried to endure it! I tried to prove that I'd changed! But then your hate drove you to murder my wife! Every ghost which now haunts this battlefield, everyone who refused to honor Naruto, _all of you_ are to blame for pushing me back into the darkness!"

Gaara had had no part in this, of course. They both knew it, and yet reminding Sasuke of this fact would do nothing to help him. So instead, he asked, "And what...would Sakura say...if she were to see you like this?"

"It doesn't matter now," Sasuke whispered as he let go of Gaara, and seconds later, thrust his hand through the Kazekage's chest, impaling him with the Chidori. Gaara coughed up more blood, violently ejecting his fading life force from his body. He had failed, he had failed the whole world and now he would be tormented for eternity by this failure as he passed into the afterlife.

Sasuke withdrew his arm, and Gaara fell to his knees. But the dying Kazekage still had enough strength in him for one last attempt to defeat the Uchiha's hatred.

"Sasuke...I still want to believe you can change," Gaara rasped out, looking to the cloudy sky. In his puzzlement, Sasuke involuntarily stepped backwards. He had just killed the last man who dared oppose him, a man who, like him was Naruto's brother in all but blood, and yet Gaara still had it in him to say this? It was unthinkable. Gaara shouldn't have possessed this conviction. But Sasuke could not deny what he saw and heard, nor ever hope to erase the memory of Gaara's last words.

"Even now...because Naruto believed in you...I...will do the same..."

Gaara finally fell backwards, his eyes closing for the last time. But his words had torn Sasuke's blackened soul asunder, and the enormity of the last Uchiha's regret slammed into him with the force of the moon. Sasuke had well and truly fallen. Every time someone bought back his soul, he went and sold it again, and for what? All of this...this ruin which was now his dominion? A dominion he could share with no one? He had almost killed an entire world. And those he hadn't killed, he'd driven away, with no hope of reconciliation.

Sasuke Uchiha screamed at the heavens, a scream of the purest agony and self-loathing. He knew now that he was the worst monster to ever be created. Even Naruto, who had an infinite capacity for forgiveness, would not forgive him for his sins. For not only had Sasuke allowed Sakura, who Naruto loved like a sister, to die, he had allowed her death to drive him to kill the rest of Naruto's surrogate family. He did not deserve to be a part of anyone's family.

Sasuke breathed out one final sigh as the last memory ended, and he walked over to view the graves of Naruto and Hinata, the latter having been dug next to the former's due to Ino's persistence. For the first time, he saw what Hinata had seen on each of those lonely nights. The image of Naruto faced him, still wearing that stupid grin on his face.

"I've said this so much it's lost all meaning, but...I'm so sorry, Naruto," Sasuke whispered, as the last tear he would ever shed slid down his cheek and then was picked up and carried off by the wind. He planted the handle of his sword into the ground, between the tragic lovers' gravestones, and closed his eyes as he threw himself onto the blade.

"Hinata...if you're able to see this somehow...you're my last hope," were his final words as he plunged into darkness one more time, and traded one hell for another.

(End vision)

x-x

"Stop..." Hinata whispered. The images the Rikudō Sennin showed her of the future she thought she wanted to return to were...overwhelming, for lack of a better world. To witness her own clan, Sakura-san, Kakashi-sensei and Gaara-kun murdered like that? To learn that Otō-sama had allegedly exploited her feelings for the sake of an agenda? And to see Sasuke-san take his own life when he realized there was nothing left?

She didn't want this. She didn't want to see it, didn't want to even think it possible. These alien feelings...this _hate_ she felt towards many of the people she once loved...she didn't want any of it at all!

 _"STOP!"_ she screamed. Just like that, her surroundings returned to the way they were before the vision, and she fell to her knees, sobbing.

"Forgive me, young Hyūga, but I needed you to understand the gravity of the situation," Hagoromo said, trying to use a soothing tone with her. "Even if I could take you back, your future would be irrevocably altered for the worst, and you would not want to remain."

"Was it...was it because of..." She couldn't say it. She couldn't ask if she was the reason her world died, if she was the domino that triggered its cascade into ruin.

"No. The future collapsed on itself as the result of many factors. There is nothing you could have done to avert the catastrophe you just witnessed." Hinata, struggling to recompose herself, forced a small nod. "As you now know, I intervened at the precipice. I wanted to wait longer, to be certain of your readiness to accept this colossal burden, but the shinobi world had run out of time. To create a new chance to save everything, I had to act when I did."

"And what..." Hinata still struggled to speak, the images from the vision and the worst memories of the past four years still tormenting her, "what am I supposed to do? What _can_ I do?"

"For starters, I would suggest taking a better look at that clearing over there," the Sage suggested, indicating the two figures Hinata couldn't recognize before with his shakujō. "Perhaps you might find that doing so will fill your heart with the strength you need to overcome these tribulations." Hinata did as he suggested, but activated her Byakugan this time. Then she gasped. The two people she saw had been dead for years from her perspective. The taller, bulkier figure, she recognized immediately as Jiraiya the Toad Sage. She still had a bit of trouble making out the shorter, leaner figure, seeing only a cloak of chakra surrounding him. But...was that cloak in the shape of a fox with too many tails? Could it be...?

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata whispered. She knew what she had to do now. Knowing that he was alive again made her feel alive for the first time in four years as she abandoned Hagoromo and rushed towards the scene, towards the person her heart ached for, longed for...towards the person whose smile saved her, the person she would, in turn save with her love.

"And so it begins." Hagoromo smiled. "We will see each other again soon, Byakugan Princess." And then he vanished, leaving the blessed pair to begin forging a new destiny.

x-x

 **A/N: And there you have it, folks. The shit has hit the fan, quite literally. The world of the Ninja fell into chaos with Naruto's death. I actually would not have been all that surprised if canon had turned out like this. Well, I think it's safe to say I pissed off some of the SasuSaku and SasuKarin shippers who are reading this but as I said before, the only pair I care about is NaruHina. I got to say, though, that killing Gaara was really hard to do. I love the guy; IMO he was a much better friend and brother figure to Naruto than Sasuke. As for his attack, a fanon jutsu of my making, try to imagine small nuclear devices exploding inside each of the Susanoo constructs. Yeah, a little overpowered, but give me a break, how else was I supposed to go about giving Gaara a noble death worthy of his character? Anyway, hate me or love me, but I can't wait to read your reviews!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Reunion**

Hinata rushed into the clearing with a speed of which she had forgotten she was capable. Though she had only seen Naruto lose control over the Kyūbi's chakra once while Kurama was still consumed by hate, and that had been the time she was nearly killed defending Naruto from Pain, that one time was enough for her to understand just how terrible that power was. Watching Naruto succumb like that was something she never wanted to see happen again. As she kept racing towards Naruto and Jiraiya, she could only hope that this time, she would be able to help Naruto regain control before something terrible happened.

Even from her current distance, Hinata felt her body react negatively to the Kyūbi's chakra. It completely lacked the warmth she'd felt the last time she came into contact with it, when she and Naruto had fought side-by-side in the Fourth Shinobi World War in her future. Then, Naruto had mastered the chakra, and it was so warm and radiant like he was. Now, the dark red chakra cloak was menacing, filled with concentrated hate. And if Hinata was already having this reaction, she could only imagine how much worse Naruto felt. She knew from reading reports of the other times he'd lost control to this extent that the chakra was mixed with Naruto's own blood, and that it burned off all of his skin when he transformed. The chakra was already trying to do the same thing to her body. But she had to fight it off as long as possible. She couldn't afford to succumb in this critical situation.

Hinata surrounded herself with Hamura's purple chakra to resist the Kyūbi's corrosive chakra and jumped in-between Jiraiya and Naruto, knowing the latter wasn't listening to the former's hopeless pleas and was only provoked further. It hurt her to have to hurt Naruto, but she couldn't just let him attack them; she had to do something, or her journey into the past would be for nothing.

"Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!" Hinata shouted, waving her hands to create a defensive net around her. The technique managed to repel the Kyūbi-controlled Naruto, but it was not completely effective. Hinata's hands had minor burns from contact with the malicious chakra, and Naruto's claws had left a few shallow cuts on her midsection.

"Naruto-kun, you need to stop!" Hinata cried out during the few seconds of reprieve she bought herself, and with tears clouding her vision, rushed towards Naruto, wrapping her arms around him in a death grip. Naruto tried to move, but was confused when he found himself restrained by the strange woman.

He and Jiraiya weren't the only ones left stunned by this newcomer's intervention. Inside his mindscape, the Kyūbi was left in a state of wonder, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the bijū momentarily forgot about its hate.

 **"Why would a Hyūga woman throw herself into danger like that? How did she even survive direct contact with my chakra? And why do I sense something strange about her? The woman's chakra is familiar somehow, and yet, I cannot recognize it at all..."**

Naruto's state of thought was eerily similar to the Kyūbi's as the chakra cloak abruptly vanished, leaving behind a young blond teenager whose skin was slowly regenerating. _'Huh? How did I get here? Last thing I remember, I was training with Ero-sennin, and I think I got mad. That stupid fox must have done something. Oh, and who is this ultra pretty girl hugging me? I feel kinda...'_ Naruto did not get to finish that thought before slipping into unconsciousness.

Luckily for all human parties involved in this incident, the Kyūbi was still too stunned to retaliate. Actually, it felt more curious than anything. The girl's chakra reminded it of its creator, but how was that possible? The Sage of Six Paths had died centuries ago. How was it even remotely possible for this woman to have any sort of connection to him?

 **"You lucked out this time, kid. But this new presence may yet lead to your downfall and my freedom,"** the kitsune thought as it retreated back into the darkest corners of its jailer's mind.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya was frozen in place as he watched the scene finish. This was supposed to have been just another training session to help Naruto control the Kyūbi's chakra. Jiraiya had helped Naruto gain mastery over two tails worth of chakra, so he'd decided to loosen the seal a little to let Naruto access more, and then everything went wrong. The Kyūbi took advantage, flooding Naruto with its chakra and forcing him into that state, a "version two" of the cloak, so to speak. Jiraiya had tried to act passively at first, hoping Naruto would be strong enough to take control over the new form before forcing him to resort to more extreme measures. Instead, his ass was pulled out of the fire by this mysterious Hyūga woman who happened to be in the wrong place at the right time, rescuing him from what he was sure would have been a fatal wound had the possessed Naruto's attack connected.

Stranger still was what the woman was doing now, cradling Naruto in her arms as though the brat was her child. Jiraiya saw her tears flow freely and heard her whisper platitudes of relief and gratefulness as she held the unconscious blond to her chest. Who was she, to be able to drive back the Kyūbi and then comfort his godson in a way he never could?

Shaking off his confusion, Jiraiya tried to approach the woman, but was stopped when her voice got louder: "I'm so glad...I'm so glad you're alive, Naruto-kun," she was saying as tears flowed freely down her face. "This time I won't let anything bad happen to you. I won't let you be alone anymore. This time I'll never, ever let you go!" The Gallant Toad Sage and self-proclaimed Super Pervert was overcome with curiosity. What sort of relationship did this woman have with his godson? How did she know him and how did it go past the point of mere acknowledgment? After all, unless Jiraiya was mistaken, the feelings this woman was displaying for the brat were not platonic.

"Excuse me, Hyūga-san?" Jiraiya finally forced out of his mouth. His words managed to catch the woman's attention, as she wiped her eyes and sat down, resting Naruto's head on her lap.

"Jiraiya-sama," Hinata said, giving the Sannin a sad smile. "It's nice to see—I mean, meet you."

"The pleasure is mine. And I have to thank you for your help back there. I don't know what got into that student of mine, but you really saved the day."

"Think nothing of it. I just—" Hinata coughed up a few drops of blood and started feeling disoriented. Jiraiya walked closer and took note of her injuries; to him, it was an outright miracle that she was still conscious after not only getting as close as she did to a Kyūbi-possessed Naruto, but also having the courage to defend them, and with a Gentle Fist Art he had never seen before. Her injuries were far less serious than they should have been; any normal person who tried to get that close to Naruto in that state would have had their skin burned off. But he couldn't ask questions about her abilities yet. She was alive, but she was still wounded and after what she did to save them, the least he could do was make sure she received proper medical treatment.

"We should get out of here now," Jiraiya said. "Give Naruto to me and lean on my shoulder. You're in pretty bad shape, Hyūga-san. We need to treat your wounds before they get worse."

Hinata shook her head. "Jiraiya-sama...if it's all the same to you...could I carry Naruto-kun? Please?"

 _'Is this girl serious?'_ Jiraiya thought, involuntarily taking a single step backward from the shock of her request. There was no way she should be able to move correctly with her injuries, and yet she wanted to carry another burden? Jiraiya was about to take Naruto out of her arms himself when he stopped and saw the pleading look in her eyes. She truly believed with all her heart that she needed to do this. The Toad Sage sighed. It wasn't like him to refuse a pretty face like hers.

"Alright," Jiraiya conceded, "but if you need any help, I expect you to ask. Alright?"

"Yes. Thank you, Jiraiya-sama." Hinata pushed herself to her feet and waited for Jiraiya to place the blond on her back. Once Naruto was secured, the two traveled as quickly as possible to a small cottage that was located only a short distance away from the clearing.

x-x

When they arrived at the cottage, the first and only thing Hinata was able to do before collapsing was lay Naruto down on a futon. Jiraiya moved closer and tried to steady her long enough to sit down next to the blond.

"Easy there, Hyūga-san. I told you not to push yourself," Jiraiya said.

"I'm fine," Hinata said under heavy breathing.

Jiraiya wasn't falling for it: "Don't try to sweet charm me while you're hurt, girl. Let's get you fixed up." He then motioned for Hinata to take off her jacket and shirts. Hinata gave him a look of concern, which was only natural given the Toad Sage's reputation; but she rationalized that her injuries would prevent Jiraiya from even thinking about using her as research for his smut novels, so she relented and removed the damaged articles of clothing, leaving her in just a black bra. Then she reached into her purse and pulled out a jar of her clan's secret ointment, which Jiraiya applied to her arms and stomach before applying gauze wrap to the injured areas.

After Jiraiya finished with his task, Hinata breathed out a sigh of relief, piquing his suspicions as she covered herself in the cloak her timeline's version of Sasuke gave her prior to her arrival. Clearly she knew more about them than she should. "Listen, Hyūga-san," he said, "I really am thankful that you helped out when you did. But your appearance here was just a bit too convenient, yes? I think it's time you started answering a few questions."

Hinata nodded. "Such as?"

"For starters, who are you? How do you know Naruto? Most people would never jump in front of a jinchūriki like that," he pointed out, realizing only a second later that perhaps he had said too much.

Hinata sighed. She knew she couldn't use her real name with anyone in this time. One slip like that and everyone in Konoha would be onto her. But what to use as a pseudonym? She needed a name that a Hyūga would give her, one that would not draw unwanted attention. The clan name Hyūga meant "towards the sun", implying their origins lay in the celestial. Then she unavoidably thought about Naruto, how Naruto had been the sun in her life...

"Yuzuki," she answered, choosing to take her maternal grandmother's name. If Naruto was the brilliant sun, illuminating the lives of everyone in his life, she was the gentle moon that depended on him to shine. "My name is Yuzuki Hyūga, and as for how I know Naruto-kun...let's just say it's complicated..."

Jiraiya nodded. Nothing was ever simple where Naruto was concerned, and the fact this Yuzuki character had been willing to look past the complications and befriend him in the first place was nothing short of amazing. "Well, Yuzuki-san, it's truly a pleasure. As long as you aren't doing the same things as the rest of the village idiots back in Konoha, I'll respect your privacy and won't pry into your relationship with Naruto."

"I would rather die than do what they do to Naruto-kun," Yuzuki said firmly. "Naruto-kun is a hero, Jiraiya-sama. He deserves to be praised and admired, not feared and despised."

"That's one thing I'll always agree on." Jiraiya chuckled. "I think we'll be able to get along just fine, Yuzuki-san. Forgive me for my suspicions." Yuzuki nodded, but then Jiraiya asked, "Anyway, what's a Hyūga doing this far away from Konoha? Last I checked, that prick Hiashi-san isn't too fond about letting anyone in his clan get out of his sight."

"Pardon me for my rudeness, Jiraiya-sama, but have you seen my forehead?" Jiraiya gave her a sheepish look as he shook his head. Yuzuki lifted up her bangs to reveal her forehead did not bear the Hyūga cursed seal. "Being part of the Main House affords me greater liberties, even if it also brings me greater displeasure from _Hiashi-sama_ and the elders," she explained, speaking her father's name with disgust when she recalled the terrible acts Hiashi committed in the original timeline. "I was traveling to a nearby town to acquire certain supplies that cannot be found in Konoha. When I saw you and Naruto-kun in the clearing, I wanted to come over to greet you, but since Naruto-kun was...well..."

"Say no more," Jiraiya interrupted Yuzuki. He wasn't about to get into this kind of conversation with someone who did not have a need to know. "I'd like to make you an offer, Yuzuki-san. How would you like to spend some time alone with Naruto? I have some business I need to attend to that will keep me away for a few days. You two could also do with some new clothes," he added, pointing out the rips in Yuzuki's shirts and the fact Naruto had nothing covering his upper body thanks to today's training incident. "Once I get back, we'll return to Konoha. The kid's training out here is pretty much done, anyway. I don't think there's much more I can teach him at this time."

Yuzuki's face brightened up at the offer. "That would be wonderful, Jiraiya-sama."

"Good. There's a few spare futons folded up in the closet over there, so feel free to grab one and use it while you're here. If you get hungry, help yourself to some instant ramen. Sorry we don't have anything else. It's really difficult to get that kid to eat other kinds of food."

"Well, maybe I'll have better luck than you there," Yuzuki suggested.

"I doubt it," Jiraiya deadpanned.

x-x

After Jiraiya finished with his explanations, he took his leave, leaving Yuzuki to her own devices. She put her shirts back on, then took a few cups of instant ramen out from Jiraiya's stash and a small pot and went outside, then made a small fire to boil some water. As Yuzuki patiently waited, she thought about today's events and how she had already started to alter the future.

Naruto's training trip with Jiraiya was supposed to last three years, but for reasons that were unknown to her, the three years were cut down to two in the original timeline. Yuzuki knew her interactions with Jiraiya and Naruto today had further reduced the time Jiraiya intended to keep Naruto away from Konoha to roughly nine and a half months. Whether Yuzuki's intervention was good in that regard remained to be seen.

As for Naruto, neither she nor the rest of his friends had been able to see him during his time away from their village, so no one had had a chance to watch him grow. In Yuzuki's time, Naruto had stood at 166 centimeters upon his return to Konoha and had grown to almost 173 centimeters before his death. He was shorter now, not as short as he'd been when he left, but it would still be a while before he caught up to his past growth. She guessed he was about 155 centimeters right now, making him still slightly shorter than her younger self. He was also a bit more muscular than she'd remembered him being when he returned.

Yuzuki sighed as she took the pot off the fire pit and poured its contents into the cups, waiting out the three minutes needed for the noodles to soak in the water. It didn't matter what age Naruto was; he still looked like a prince, her prince. But he wasn't really her prince anymore. Yuzuki knew that Naruto belonged to her younger self, and that she could not share the same place in his heart. And yet, she found herself feeling jealous of her counterpart. The thought made Yuzuki laugh bitterly as she stuck her chopsticks into the ramen cup and began eating. How could she have imagined there would be a day when she would be jealous of herself?

Once her appetite was sated, Yuzuki walked back inside and laid down on the couch. As much as she needed Naruto, she didn't think she would be able to sleep if she was in the same room as him. But as it would turn out, she wouldn't be able to sleep anyway...

x-x

An older Naruto's eyes shot open, his panic accompanied by heavy breathing. What had happened to him felt like the longest, worst dream ever, and worse still, it had felt so real...

This Naruto looked down to check his chest and to his relief, there was no kunai protruding from there. No kunai, no Zetsu, no Obito, no Madara, no Kaguya, and none of the other horrors of that war. Maybe it wasn't real, maybe it was all just a dream. It had to be a dream, because here he was at Ero-sennin's cottage...wait a minute...

 _'This is the place me and Ero-sennin lived in during my training! Just how much of that was a dream?'_ Frantic, he raced to the door; he needed to find Jiraiya now so he could make sense of everything that had played out in his head. But the moment he got near the door, it threw him back with a large electric shock. Naruto moaned in pain as he pushed himself back to his feet.

 _'What the hell was that?'_ He instinctively reached into his ninja tools pouch, bracing for a fight, but the pouch wasn't attached. Confused, he then looked towards the door only to find there was no sign of damage. A blast like that should have blown a large hole in the cottage, he reasoned, but there was absolutely no evidence that anything had happened. Just what on earth was going on? Also, why did his body feel so weird, like it wasn't even there? Naruto checked his arms and found that they kept flickering in and out of this plane of existence. He also found that he was no longer wearing his tattered orange tracksuit and mesh armor, but was clothed in just a white burial kimono and nothing else. _'What in the...'_

"Na-Na-Naruto-kun?" a soft voice stammered, snapping him out of his thoughts. Naruto spun around and saw a young woman who couldn't be older than twenty resting on a couch just a meter away. The woman's features caught his attention immediately: the long, midnight blue hair styled in a hime cut, the cutest round face, and those eyes...he knew those eyes...

"Hinata!" Naruto yelled, but his voice went unheard. But being unable to speak wasn't even the worst part of it all. If Hinata was that age, then... _'It wasn't a dream...I really died, didn't I? But, that also means...'_ Naruto took a few steps back as he recalled the words Hinata had said to him on that day, the day they lost each other forever...

 _"From the moment I first met you, Naruto-kun, I was destined to fall in love with you and only you...Please live, Naruto-kun! Live for me, live for your friends, but live for yourself too! You can't die, not now! I need you to live! I love you too much to let you die!"_

...and he remembered the single kiss he'd managed to share with her before passing on...

...but before Naruto could figure out how he was supposed to respond to this latest mess, Hinata flung herself at him, tears streaming down her face. Naruto stood firm and held his arms open to catch her, but...

"Ouch!" Hinata screamed, jumping right through Naruto and crashing into the small table, the impact from her knees splitting it in two. Hinata moaned in pain and Naruto snapped around and took a closer look at her, noticing how her stomach and arms were wrapped in bandages, and observing that she could soon add bruises and splinters to the list of injuries she'd recently incurred. Naruto tried to reach down to help her, but his hands just went right through her, like he wasn't even there.

 _'Great, just great. I die and come back to life, only now I'm a freaking ghost. On top of that, I can't even speak! Why did those scary movies have to lie to me about ghosts still having vocal cords?'_ Naruto would have entered an internal rant about ghosts and his fear of them, but his priorities were readjusted again by Hinata's sniffles as she slowly got back on her feet, but her body was swaying from the physical and emotional recoil of this latest incident.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata called out, trying to reach for him, but her hands again just passed right through him. "Co-come on, Naruto-kun. This game isn't fun, y'know," she said, her voice shaky and wavering. She tried grabbing at him again, and again, then started swiping at his image, but each time her hands caught nothing but air. "Please, Naruto-kun, just let me touch you! Why can't I touch you? You're right here, but I can't reach you!"

Naruto saw the pain in her eyes and was torn to pieces. He knew the pain, had seen it overtake her in his last moments; it was the same pain she'd felt when she'd watched him die, powerless to do anything to save him. _'No! I won't let her cry like that ever again!'_ Desperately, Naruto tried to call on whatever chakra he might still have, concentrating with all his will and hoping it would be enough. Naruto finally managed to get a grip on her wrist and pulled her into a hug. Hinata, feeling his tug, stopped crying for just a moment and tried to return his affection, but ultimately found that while he could touch her, she still could not reach him.

Words could not describe the devastation Hinata felt as she sank back to the floor, her tears once more flowing non-stop.

"Why? Why now, and why like this? Why, Naruto-kun?" Hinata cried.

Naruto could not give her an answer even if it was possible in his new form. He was pretty sure he knew the mechanics of resurrection, that it wasn't possible without a living sacrifice regardless of whether it turned the revived person into a puppet like with the Impure World Reincarnation, or was a true rebirth which required the Rinnegan or some other self-sacrificial reincarnation ninjutsu such as the one that Chiyo-bā-san had used to bring back Gaara. None of those brought anyone back as a ghost. He could only think of one thing, that it had something to do with the Rikudō Sennin, but he didn't know why Rikudō-ojii-sama would do this to him.

Not able to figure out the how or why behind his new form of existence, he could only try to say one thing to Hinata, but he knew his words would send her into even deeper pits of despair.

 _'I'm so sorry, Hinata,'_ he thought. _'I know an idiot like me has no right to tell you this now, and saying it will only make you cry even more, but...'_ his thoughts trailed off for a moment as he lifted Hinata's chin and gazed into her lavender eyes, eyes which showed him nothing but the pain they'd both suffered throughout their hellish lives, and he hated himself for having to add to their shared pain.

"…I love you, Hinata," the ghost of Naruto finally mouthed. The unspoken words on his lips sent Hinata spiraling into a greater grief than any she'd felt during the four years since his death. She broke down harder than ever, and her tears—tears he could not shed anymore—did not stop flowing until sunrise. She finally had him, finally could be with the one she loved...but while he was right there, holding her as she cried, the broken pair had never been so completely separated as they were now, right when they were brought together.

x-x

It was close to noon when Hinata realized she had taken the entire night to cry herself to sleep. Her eyes were crusty and bloodshot, and her hair was damp and sticking to her face. She was also still in the embrace of the ghost Naruto, who smiled at her and gently fixed her hair when she was roused. Seeing him there, her first thought was to break down again and cry until her eyes could shed no more tears, just as she had last night. It took Hinata all of her willpower to stay composed. She reminded herself that she was on a mission now, and wasting her time crying would assuredly make her fail that mission.

"Did you sleep at all, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked the ghost. Naruto shook his head and, using the index and middle fingers of his right hand, pointed at his eyes, then at her, indicating that he had spent the entire morning watching her. This only made her feel worse. Or rather, would have, if Naruto wasn't the only ghost present in this cottage.

"Disembodied spirits have no need of sleep, Hyūga-san," a familiar and very unwelcome voice intruded. "Your education on the paranormal is more lacking than I first thought." Hinata turned to look outside and sure enough, Hagoromo was hovering near the fire pit, flipping pancakes. The sight of the Sage sent Hinata into a boiling rage. She disentangled herself from Ghost Naruto's arms and stomped over to face Hagoromo. Naruto also would have been angry, but felt afraid instead; he had never seen Hinata get angry, but he could almost see the sparks flying between her and the Sage.

"You!" Hinata shouted. "You knew this would happen! Why didn't you tell me? Why did you make me find out about Naruto-kun like this!?" she demanded, furious with Hagoromo. Furious because her heart had again been torn to pieces by that pain, pain which would have been avoided if she had chosen not to accept his offer.

"Before I get to that, would you like to join me for breakfast?" Hagoromo asked, showing no sign of being affected by Hinata's anger as he flipped the pancake again. "Traveling the world for as long as I have, I needed to polish up on my cooking every so often. In this state, I am unable to partake in my own meals, so I apologize if the meal is not to your liking."

Hinata ripped the pan out of his hand and threw it into the forest. "You'll have to forgive my disrespect later, but right now, you owe me and Naruto-kun an explanation!" She then turned back to the cottage to see Ghost Naruto slipping through the couch, attempting to hide. Hinata wasn't about to have that! She activated her Byakugan and glared at Naruto, yelling out, "Get over here, Naruto-kun!"

Naruto gulped as he timidly walked outside. _'I don't remember being this scared of Sakura-chan,'_ he thought. _'Hinata is really, really scary right now. This is so much worse than all the times Sakura-chan got mad!'_

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata screamed again. Naruto shot up straight and stood at attention.

"Are you not concerned that your yelling will cause Naruto's living counterpart to awaken?" Hagoromo wondered.

"Don't give me that! I know you've set up some sort of barrier around us to prevent anyone from seeing or hearing us, so tell me, why is my Naruto-kun like this?" Despite the anger in her tone, the Naruto in question felt his heart flutter from her possessiveness. He felt like he could easily get used to hearing Hinata call him 'her Naruto-kun'.

"As you wish. Youngsters these days..." Hagoromo muttered, which only got him an intensified glare from Hinata. "There is no easy way to say this, so I may as well just say it. You are not the only entity from the future who is merging with their counterpart. Naruto is also experiencing this sensation. Before you ask how this is possible, allow me to point out that his soul never departed to the Pure World following his death in your time. Part of the reason for this is that, as the reincarnation of my younger son Asura, he possessed a small portion of my transcendent chakra, which was awakened during the climax of the Fourth Shinobi World War. However, this alone was not sufficient to produce a stable manifestation of his spirit until you consented to travel into the past. When you arrived and altered Naruto's future, your actions created a direct link between the two, forcing his spirit from the future to make his own journey through the river of time. That link is what has allowed his spiritual energy to stabilize, by calling on the chakra of his counterpart."

"But what will that do to the other Naruto-kun?" Hinata demanded. This entire exercise in rewriting history would be for naught if this turned out to harm the Naruto she was here to save.

"Have you gone deaf?" Hagoromo's tone was incredulous. "As I said just a few moments ago, your Naruto and this time's Naruto are merging, much like you and your younger self. The emotions, memories and knowledge of both you and the Naruto from your time are being assimilated by your counterparts. How long this process takes will depend entirely on the choices you make in this time."

"Oh, really? How many others from the future are going to merge with their past selves, if I may ask? Just so I don't get surprised like this later on?" the Byakugan Princess spat.

"I do not appreciate the tone you are taking with me, Hyūga-san," the Rikudō Sennin said sternly. "Everything I am doing here, I am doing it for your benefit."

"How? By making me be so close to what I desire the most only to shove it down my throat that I can't have it? Thank you very much for telling me the story of my life!" Hinata was about to attempt an attack against the Rikudō Sennin when the ghost Naruto wrapped his arms around her, urging her to calm herself. This anger she was showing wasn't her, wasn't the Hinata he knew, and he didn't like it. Thankfully for him, his embrace seemed to have the desired effect, although it did make Hinata reflexively reach out for him despite knowing she could not touch him.

Hagoromo sighed. No human could possibly harm him, and yet having Hinata's scorn would jeopardize the lives of every human. He could only hope it was still in her to be placated by him. "Forgive me, Hyūga-san. I know you are in a lot of pain right now, but I need you to endure that pain for just a while longer. I promised when we arrived in this time that you would be rewarded, and I will not break that promise.

"However, I am running out of time in our current session, and can only tell you a few more things until our next encounter. First, Hinata, the reason Naruto can touch you but not vice versa, is because his soul has transformed into a yūrei. Whatever abilities he now possesses are no longer in the natural realm. Second, Naruto, I would not advise straying too far away from Hinata. That jolt you felt last night was because you went a certain distance past the anchor that keeps you bound to this world." At that, the ghost Naruto gave Hagoromo an angry but questioning look, then his face softened as he glanced at Hinata. "Yes, it is your unresolved feelings for her that prevented you from passing on into the Pure Land. Hinata is your anchor, and you will not be able to leave her side. If you should attempt to do so anyway...well, let us just say that would be most unwise."

x-x

After the Rikudō Sennin vanished, Naruto released Hinata from his embrace and indicated to her that he was confused about what transpired. Hinata, with a sad sigh, began to explain what had transpired on the fourth anniversary of his death. How she had tried to end her own life before encountering Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki at the cemetery, and accepted his proposition, finding herself magically transported to this earlier time. How Sasuke had...well, that part was difficult for Hinata to explain. Naruto broke down when he learned of the transgressions of her father, and how the murder of his surrogate sister had made Sasuke's madness spiral out of control, culminating in so much death. The Hyūga Clan in its entirety, Kakashi, Killer Bee and Gaara, among so many others, all killed, before Sasuke turned the blade on himself. His entire adoptive family, gone, destroyed by the hate that ran rampant among the survivors of the war.

If Naruto had been able to shed tears in his new form, they would be overflowing. As it was, he couldn't stop shaking as he held Hinata in his arms, taking some measure of relief in knowing that she had escaped the downfall of their world. But all they had now was each other, and the drive to make sure that tragedy did not repeat itself in this time.

Reading the thoughts hidden behind his eyes, Hinata tried to return his embrace, despite knowing it would not work. When her effort failed yet again, she gave Naruto a bitter laugh. "I'm going to have to overcome that reflex one of these days," she said. Naruto tried to reassure her, but she only shook her head in response. "It's okay, Naruto-kun. It still hurts, but I really am happy to be with you, even if it's like this." She was about to turn to head back inside when she noticed, to her astonishment, that the frying pan and pancake mix Hagoromo had conjured had found their way back to the fire pit. Hinata gave the ghost Naruto a look of disarray, wondering where Hagoromo had procured the ingredients, and the ghost simply shook his head. With his limited ability to communicate, he couldn't explain to her that the ability to create form from nothingness was one of Rikudō-ojii-sama's powers. Then again, if he could explain, Hinata would have only flown off the handle again, as she would have demanded to know why Hagoromo couldn't just create a new body for her Naruto-kun, even if his ghost form did provide her with the advantage of not having to explain why or how someone who was identical to this time's Naruto in every aspect except age had appeared from out of nowhere.

Hinata sighed as she poured some of the pancake mix onto the frying pan. She had to stop thinking of herself as Hinata. She told the ghost Naruto that she had selected an alias for herself, and would be called Yuzuki by their comrades from this time. Naruto gave her a look of approval, telling her without words that he liked her new name, though he also thought it would take some time to adjust to the name. Of course, being what he was now, no bad consequence could come from any slips, right?

It only took a few minutes for the warm smell from the fire pit to make its way inside the cottage. When it did, it immediately roused the young Naruto from his sleep and brought him outside.

"Hey, Ero-sennin, whatcha cooking?" Living Naruto asked in a boisterous voice. A few seconds later, he realized that Jiraiya wasn't at the fire pit, and instead there was that strange woman who'd been hugging him yesterday. Naruto, being Naruto, freaked out. "Hey lady, what did you do with Ero-sennin? Why are you here? What do you want?" he demanded.

Ghost Naruto smacked himself in the face. Seeing himself now from a new perspective brought with it certain realizations, and as he heard his younger self mouthing off at Yuzuki, he wondered if he had really been as bratty as everyone else claimed. He was about to do something to exploit his counterpart's fear of ghosts when Yuzuki gave him a disapproving look before she turned to face the younger Naruto, her face softening to give him a kind smile.

"Jiraiya-sama had to leave for a few days to run some errands, and asked me to take care of you," Yuzuki said. "I am Yuzuki Hyūga. It's nice to meet you, Naruto-kun," she added, giving him a polite bow.

"What? Ero-sennin just up and left? What about my training!?" Naruto whined.

"Oh, that...eheheh," Yuzuki chuckled nervously. "He said your training was finished."

"Hmm..." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Something's fishy here. Ero-sennin said we were supposed to be gone for three years, y'know."

"He told me the same thing when we met yesterday," Yuzuki confirmed. "But it looks like you surpassed his expectations." That was a lie. Yuzuki suspected the reason they were returning home so soon was because of the Kyūbi incident yesterday, but she wouldn't mention it to Naruto because she didn't want him trying to distance himself from her because he thought she would react badly to knowing about his burden.

Naruto seemed to accept the lie, though: "So I get to go home soon?" he asked, his voice hopeful. Yuzuki nodded. "Awesome! I can't wait to see everyone, especially Sakura-chan! Maybe she's finally gotten over that jerk Sasuke!"

Yuzuki twitched and nearly dropped the plate she was about to give Naruto onto the ground. The older, disembodied Naruto decided very quickly that if they were going to screw with the timeline, the first thing he was going to do was make sure his younger self wasn't as much of an idiot this time around. The ghost closed his eyes and went into a meditative state, concentrating his thoughts on Hinata, specificially on his memories of her before he'd left Konoha with Ero-sennin on the training trip. Rikudō-ojii-sama had said that he was also merging with his younger self, just as Yuzuki was merging with Hinata, so the ghost was trying to transfer his feelings into his living counterpart.

The effort to influence the younger Naruto's thoughts seemed to work, as his facial expression became more serene. "You said you're a Hyūga, right?" he asked Yuzuki, and she nodded. "Y'know, you kinda remind me of this girl I know. Her name's Hinata, and since you two are from the same clan, I'm sure you've met her, right?" Yuzuki was taken aback by the question. She looked off towards her side, wondering if the ghost Naruto had done something. "Hey, are you okay? You're spacing out, y'know."

"Oh! Y-yes," Yuzuki answered, cursing her stutter as she turned back towards this timeline's Naruto. "I'm sorry. And yes, I have met her before. She is a very nice girl." Her reply was followed by a light blush adorning her cheeks as she looked away. Yuzuki did not like to take pride in herself. However, the blush vanished when she caught her Naruto giving her a thumbs up in her peripheral vision.

"Yeah, she always was the kindest person, y'know? I wonder how she's doing..."

Yuzuki smiled and put her hands on Naruto's shoulders, making the ghost Naruto give her a look of jealousy. "I am sure she is doing well and is waiting for you to come home."

"Eh?" Naruto looked at Yuzuki with curiosity. "You think she's waiting for me?"

Yuzuki giggled. Both Narutos' faces lit up with a soft, sincere grin from hearing the cheerfulness in her gentle voice. "Yes. I am sure she misses you a lot." The young Naruto's eyes lit up, confirming to Yuzuki what Sasuke had said at the end of their final conversation. Seeing this gave her an idea, one she was sure both Narutos would readily approve. "How would you like to go shopping with me after you finish breakfast, Naruto-kun? Jiraiya-sama also said he needed to get you some new clothes, but if we leave and take care of that now, we'll be able to go home sooner. Would you like that?"

"Hell yeah!" Naruto shouted. "That old perv can really get distracted and take ages to get back from his lame errands, y'know? Thanks a lot, Yuzuki!"

"You are quite welcome, Naruto-kun." Yuzuki giggled more while Naruto wolfed down his pancakes, somehow managing not to choke on them as he ate with his unique enthusiasm. She then walked back inside to freshen up, with the older Naruto staying close behind, and found herself becoming infected by the living Naruto's enthusiasm for the first time in four years. She may have gotten off to a rough start in this timeline, but after seeing Naruto again, she wanted to believe with all her heart that things would only get better for them.

x-x

 **A/N: So here is Chapter 4. I know these first chapters have been on the tragic side but it will get better, I promise! At least for a little while, anyway. I love the feedback I'm getting so please keep it coming! Also I'll try as best I can to logically explain certain things, but with stuff like ghost Naruto being able to touch Hinata but not vice versa there is no logical explanation. Ghosts can just do that XD**

 **Please review!**

 **Also, to the reviewer who mentioned Magnet Release, the only part I claim as my own is the way Gaara managed to use it to get past Sasuke's Susanoo defense. Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Hardened Heart**

While Naruto finished up with breakfast, Yuzuki remained inside to look for any spare clothes she and him could wear during their brief trip to a nearby village. To her dismay, all that was left was a black t-shirt and shorts that would definitely not fit her. Yuzuki sighed and took out a needle and some thread from her purse, and spent the next hour sewing her torn clothes so they would be somewhat more presentable when she left, while Naruto ran off to bathe in a nearby stream.

Normally, the journey to the small village would have taken about twelve hours at a civilian's pace, but Yuzuki and Naruto's ninja training cut the time down to a fourth of that. As they jumped from tree branch to tree branch, Yuzuki's thoughts wandered, focusing on recent events.

First was learning that the disembodied spirit of her Naruto had also made the journey across time. She would have to come up with a pseudonym for him in case it was ever revealed that a yūrei (faint spirit) was anchored to her. She knew the younger, living Naruto would quickly get confused if he kept hearing her call out to her Naruto, thinking she was calling for him. If she made that mistake enough times, he would even start to suspect that something was wrong.

And then there was the traumatic vision Hagoromo showed her. She saw the ghost Naruto glance at her and saw the worry on his face, and knew why he was so worried. It wasn't hard to tell that Yuzuki was on the verge of another mental breakdown, and who could blame her? Watching your entire clan be murdered in a single night by your soul mate's best friend, then seeing said soul mate return to life but being unable to touch him would put anyone over the edge. Thankfully, her Naruto was doing his best to keep her from going off the deep end, but there was only so much she could still take. She wasn't as strong as her Naruto believed her to be, not anymore.

Once they arrived at the village, Yuzuki seated herself on a bench just outside of a small clothing store while the younger Naruto went inside. She allowed herself a small smile, knowing this would be when Naruto started to wear the orange and black tracksuit that was his favored clothing throughout his teenage years. But did she have enough ryō on hand from before she was sent back in time to purchase the apparel?

Yuzuki checked her purse again, causing her ghost Naruto to look at her in surprise as the sudden movement caught him off-guard. Apparently, she had only carried a measly ten thousand ryō with her when she went out on her last night in the future. The money would be sufficient for a limited amount of necessities, but nothing else. It would not last longer than a few weeks. This discovery confirmed to Yuzuki that she would have to be reinstated into Konoha's military forces using her pseudonym. If money had been the only problem, she could have just found a job as a seamstress; she had accumulated millions of unspent ryō from her knitting in the future. If she'd had any clue that the Rikudō Sennin planned to do this to her, she would have withdrawn a lot more from the clan's communal funds before she abandoned her clan to its fate.

Yuzuki wanted to laugh at the thought, but kept silent. It was certainly strange, that she would still be considered a Hyūga by the villagers but would not be able to access the Hyūga treasuries. But for now, it was enough to know that she could still afford to buy Naruto his new clothes. Whether she could successfully get reinstated into the shinobi program was iffy; she had not done any serious training since the day her Naruto died, so she would have to take the rest of the time she had before her and the younger Naruto's return to Konoha to brush up on her skills and get back in shape.

Yuzuki was about to close her purse when she noticed the item Sasuke had slipped into there on that hellish night, a scroll sealed with the Uchiha emblem. In her sadness, she sighed; it would hurt to read this scroll, knowing what Sasuke had done in the future after she left, but it had to be done. She could not let herself be hindered by her emotions. Yuzuki didn't want to hate Sasuke—her hate was reserved solely for Zetsu, the homunculus who killed Naruto while she was still in her dream world—but as compassionate as Yuzuki was, what Sasuke had done was still unforgivable. His actions after she went back in time would always affect her.

Yuzuki channeled a small amount of chakra into the scroll to break the seal. When she opened it, her eyes went wide. She showed it to the ghost Naruto, who was already trembling in rage as he took it out of her hands and began to read.

 _Hinata,_

 _Please forgive my lack of courage for communicating my thoughts in this form. What I'm about to tell you in this scroll is something I should have confessed in person, rather than resort to using a Shadow Clone to write down the words while we comforted one another at Naruto's grave. If I had spoken the words aloud, surely you would have gone back on what you said to me and started to hate me. But there are some things you need to know before you accept the second chance Hagoromo will offer you to set things right._

 _Yes, the Sage of Six Paths appeared to me and warned me about what will soon transpire. But you are the only one who has the power to change things. You are still filled with the light of hope and love, while I have become the Shinobi of Darkness. I do not have any light left in me to call my own. Yet you, Naruto and Sakura have all shared your light with me, and I am eternally grateful for that, knowing I deserve only hatred for the things I've done._

 _The Hyūga Clan's hatred towards me has pushed them to the brink of rebellion against the village. Hiashi may have tried to keep his clansmen at bay, but I fear he has now lost reason and succumbed to their mob mentality, and will attempt to use Sakura against me to deliver the Hyūga's twisted version of justice. But I suppose I don't blame him for seeking my death. The Shinobi Alliance may have acquitted me of the crimes I committed as a missing-nin, but every day since the war ended, I have been burdened with the knowledge that I should have died for my transgressions. I'm the one who should have been killed in the war, not Naruto. But you would rather suffer alone than be selfish. You never would have allowed me to sacrifice myself to bring him back. You never would have wanted me to trade my life for his, claiming that I would be sacrificing Sakura's happiness for yours. Your guilt would have pushed you away from Naruto, tainting the relationship between you and him, and you managed to convince me that I could not, in good conscience bring him back to life only for his life to be destroyed once more._

 _When you said you didn't hate me, I felt true joy for the first time since the days before Itachi carried out the massacre of my clan. I felt that maybe there was a chance that I could do as you wanted, and give Sakura the happiness she deserved. But by the time you read this, it is most likely too late. The nightmare world we live in is on the brink of collapse and I might well be the person who brings about that collapse. I don't have the strength you possess, Hinata. I cannot suffer the pain from Sakura's death like you were able to endure the loss of Naruto for so long. My only chance to keep my redemption is to take Sakura far away from the village and live the rest of my days in seclusion. If I lose her, I will lose my soul to the shadows forever._

 _Should that fear be realized, this is what I need you to do._

 _I won't go into details about the truth behind the Uchiha Clan Downfall. There are a few others who know what really happened that night, including Naruto. If you've contacted his ghost like I heard some others claim, I hope he has broken his oath to secrecy and told you. If he has yet to do so, then he needs to tell you right away. You'd be more likely to believe it coming from him than you would me. Either way, you need to bring me back to Konoha as soon as possible. I don't care what you have to do to snatch me away from Orochimaru's lair. If you have to break every bone in my body, as I recall Naruto once threatening to do, then do it. If you can't defeat me on your own, then find a way to warn Itachi about what will happen if you cannot force me to return home, and my big brother will understand and aid you. No matter what else happens, you must bring me back before I succumb to the Curse of Hatred as completely as I did in the original timeline._

 _And if you cannot save me, then you will need to kill me. If it is already too late for me even in the past, if I am already damned to the pits of hell regardless, then so be it. Should that be the case, then I would ask only that you remember the man I was before I allowed my demons to consume me, and that you finally let yourself be selfish and choose to be happy with Naruto rather than suffer alone any longer._

 _Goodbye, Hinata._

 _\- Sasuke_

The ghost Naruto exerted all the pressure he could to crush the scroll and throw it through the air, not caring that it hit the clerk in the head, who turned around to wonder what just happened, but being unable to see him, shrugged it off and continued reading his magazine. He had no idea that he was also transferring his anger to his younger, living counterpart, and would only later realize the consequences of his rage.

 _'That two-bit lying, psychopathic son of a bitch!'_ the ghost Naruto yelled despite knowing his voice would never be heard. _'He got Sakura-chan killed, he murdered Kakashi-sensei, Hinata's entire clan,_ _B-san_ _and Gaara, and then he sent Hinata back here with almost no new information while expecting her to fix his fuck-ups. I can deal with him on my own, but forcing all of that on her is the last fucking straw!'_ In his anger, he completely forgot about the electric shock that would hit him each time he tried to wander too far from Yuzuki, and only remembered after he stomped off to try and find Sasuke only to be sent flying back towards Yuzuki.

 _'And if that wasn't bad enough, I'm a ghost now, and a chained one to boot!'_ he complained as he flew right through Yuzuki and landed in front of her.

"Are you okay, Naruto-kun?" Yuzuki asked, getting a few strange looks from people who were passing by. She sighed, having forgotten that she was the only one who could see her Naruto. Despite knowing that it was impossible for her Naruto to die, she could not help but worry about him. But her question went unheard as the ghost Naruto went back to the edge of the spiritual barrier and pounded his fists against it, silently screaming with each blow dealt in a vain attempt to break free of his confinement so he could go find Sasuke and beat his ass into the ground. Yuzuki, not knowing why he was doing this, thought he was angry at her for being anchored to her, and dropped to her knees and began crying, not caring how humiliating or embarrassing it was for a Hyūga to openly display their emotions. Was she to be punished yet again because she had been selfish? She had been happy when she learned that her Naruto had to stay at her side no matter what, but now she was reminded of how unfair it was to him that he was tied down like this.

The ghost Naruto heard Yuzuki's tears and smacked himself in the face. _'Damn it, I made her cry again,'_ he thought to himself, and hated himself even more. He was about to take Yuzuki into his arms and let her cry on his shoulders when they heard a loud crashing noise from inside the clothing store. That alone would have got anyone's attention, but what made it worse was the unadulterated rage which was emanating from inside. Something was wrong...very, very wrong. Without a second thought, Yuzuki activated her Byakugan and ran into the store, and saw the living Naruto hunched over and gripping his head.

 _'What in the world?'_ Yuzuki thought. From what she could see Naruto's heart beat was accelerating at an alarming rate and his chakra network was like a raging river; she could even see traces of it actually leaving his body. What was more was that Naruto was growling like a beast. His eyes had not quite turned red, but his whiskers were enlarged and he was dangerously close to losing control.

"Hey kid, you better pay for that mess you made!" the clerk shouted.

Naruto ignored him and took a coat hanger and threw it at some nicely folded pants on one of the shelves that wasn't yet knocked over, sending the clothing that was on display there flying everywhere. "What...what's going on?! Get out...get out of my head!" Naruto yelled as he lost his balance and tumbled into some more coat hangers. He was still rolling around, clutching his head in pain when Yuzuki got to him.

"Naruto-kun!" Yuzuki cried, running to him and gripping his shoulders. "Naruto-kun, what's wrong? Why are you doing this?" Yuzuki asked quickly.

"AGGGG! It hurts! Make it stop, make it stop!" Naruto yelled.

"Naruto-kun, calm down! What hurts?"

"That's it! Get that boy out of my shop!" the clerk yelled as he grabbed a broom and went for Naruto. But just as he was about to bring the broom down on his head, Yuzuki grabbed the handle and let her midnight blue hair fall over her eyes.

"You really don't want to do that…" she said in a low threatening voice.

"What the hell are you doing, lady?! Is he your brat? Then you need to leave now before I call the authorities!" the clerk raged.

Holding Naruto as close to her as possible, she looked up at the man, her Byakugan seemingly piercing though his soul. The glare was intense enough that the clerk lost control over his bladder. "I said you really don't want to do that," she hissed, snapping the broom in half with just her grip. Then she stood up, still holding Naruto in one arm and the broken broom in the other, and looked down at the man as if she were a giant. "If you dare lay a finger on Naruto-kun the next thing I snap will be your neck, am I clear?" she asked.

Naruto felt himself relax in Yuzuki's embrace as he watched her verbally lay into the clerk. He had only met her a few hours ago, but already she was jumping to his defense and threatening a man on his behalf. He wasn't sure whether he should be happy or not on that last point but he was definitely happy that she was willing to defend him.

"O-okay Hyūga-sama, whatever yo-you say," the man stuttered.

"Good. Now, you are going to let Naruto-kun get whatever he wants, aren't you?" Yuzuki asked.

"Ye-yes ma'am, but I'll still get paid right?" he asked. A second later, he regretted saying those words as Yuzuki shifted her head to glance at the wall and noticed a very important detail that made her anger towards him worse. There was a very specific ceramic mask hanging on the wall...a Fox-themed mask similar to those worn by the Anbu.

"It's _you,"_ Yuzuki nearly howled. "You're _that_ merchant, the one who mistreated Naruto-kun so much back in Konoha."

"What of it?" he sneered. "Are you going to pay me or will I have to call for the authorities after all?"

Yuzuki's eyes narrowed as she dropped the broken handle and pressed her newly empty palm against his chest. "You have five minutes to leave this village and never return. After what you did to Naruto-kun in the past and what you were going to do to him just now, you will be fortunate if the Hyūga Clan _ever_ lets you do business anywhere in the Land of Fire again."

The merchant did not say another word as he ran for his life.

x-x

Yuzuki smirked as the merchant bolted out the door. A part of her had always wanted to do that in her timeline when people had closed their doors to Naruto, but due to her lack of self-confidence she had never got the chance. Thankfully said problem no longer seemed to matter to her anymore. Naruto and his well being came first, before everything else. She did feel a little guilty about stealing from the merchant after sending him packing, but she tried to reason that this one time, he deserved it for how he treated Naruto-kun back when she and Naruto-kun were still kids. Besides, she was a kunoichi; it was unreasonable of her to expect that she would never have to appropriate any resources from others.

To Yuzuki's surprise, Naruto had ultimately opted out of wearing the same orange and black tracksuit he'd donned when he returned to Konoha. Instead, he was now sporting a black hooded jacket with a yellow flame pattern along the bottom, and black sports pants which had a single orange stripe running down each leg. He also carried the fox mask in his arms after Yuzuki insisted on giving it to him, like he'd originally wanted several years ago. As Yuzuki and Naruto jumped across the trees on their way back to Jiraiya's cottage, she wondered if his new clothes were a result of the influence she and Naruto's older, spectral self were already exerting over this timeline. But there was another detail that was more significant.

 _'What came over him?'_ Yuzuki wondered, thinking back to the incident inside the now permanently closed clothing store. _'He wasn't just angry, he seemed like he was in pain.'_ She also remembered from the reports on prior incidents how he would often suffer from memory loss after the chakra receded. Usually Naruto was able to tell when the fox tried to exert its will through its chakra, and nine times out of ten he would force it back without issue. But Naruto couldn't tell her why he had went off like that. And he seemed to have forgotten most of what happened, including what triggered the incident. In fact, the exact words he'd used when she asked him about it were, "Whoa...I did that? Come on Yuzuki, that's not like me at all!" The only details he did remember were her defending him and acquiring his new clothes.

Yuzuki looked at her Naruto and since they could see everything in each others' eyes, he knew what she was asking. He shrugged and she knew he was as surprised as herself. She would need to look into the matter later.

When she looked at the afternoon sky and realized how much time had passed on this errand, Yuzuki decided the best course of action would be to wait for Jiraiya's return before returning to Konoha. She knew she needed to get in as much training as she could, and she also had serious doubts about the completeness of Naruto's training. Naruto had always been so strong in her eyes, but she now had to wonder just how much stronger Naruto should have been when he returned. From what Yuzuki knew in the original timeline, Naruto had yet to learn how to fully utilize the potential of his trademark techniques, the Shadow Clone and the Rasengan, and while he had shown considerable improvement in most of the basics the number of new jutsu or variants of already known jutsu he'd picked up during the two years he'd been taken out of Konoha was disappointingly low. In fact, she only remembered him learning the Transparency Jutsu and Giant Rasengan. He had not gained his most formidable abilities—Sage Mode and full control over Kurama's chakra—until after Jiraiya's death, and she had no idea if Naruto had been taught any other techniques during his time away from Konoha. It almost seemed like Jiraiya had not truly focused on Naruto's training at all. It was something she would have to ask both the Sannin and the ghost Naruto about once she got the chance, even though she doubted she would get much of an answer from either of them. And if she did not receive satisfactory answers, she would need to rectify as many of the problems with Naruto's lack of training as she could by herself. Yuzuki would _not_ allow this timeline's Hinata to lose her Naruto because of inadequate training.

When Yuzuki returned to the cottage, she was reminded of Jiraiya's warning about their food supply last night and briefly regretted not using part of her meager ryō to acquire more nutritious foodstuffs. The pancakes Naruto feasted on had been provided by Hagoromo's incredible ability to create form out of nothingness, but the cupboards here were still filled almost exclusively with ramen, with some canned vegetables and seasonings to add some extra nutrition. But then she remembered just how small the amount of ryō she had brought with her was and knew she could not have afforded to purchase any new supplies before she returned to Konoha. She needed to conserve her ryō and attempt to find an apartment to rent in a location that would minimize the risk of her being noticed by her clansmen. Her first thought had been to convince Tsunade to allow her to live with Naruto so he wouldn't be so lonely anymore, but given the conditions of her existence in this timeline she did not believe that to be the best course of action. She still planned on visiting Naruto every day while she wasn't on missions, though. But for now, she had to make do with what she had.

Yuzuki cooked her and Naruto's dinner in silence. Neither she nor the living Naruto spoke a word other than for her to call him out to eat, and him giving his thanks for the meal. The silence was almost broken when Yuzuki saw the ghost Naruto gaze longingly at the ramen, knowing he could not partake of her cooking. Yuzuki gave the specter an apologetic look, but a few moments later, she felt the air stiffen and young Naruto appeared to be frozen in time. She knew what was about to happen.

And she was not looking forward to it.

"What do you want now?" a highly annoyed Yuzuki demanded.

"Why must you take that tone with me?" Hagoromo replied as his transcended spirit shimmered into view. "While our relationship is not on the best of terms right now, I still find your lack of respect disturbing."

"Be glad that I still have some respect for you in spite of everything you've done to me in the past two days. I have learned that my forgiveness only goes so far."

"So, you are aware of what I told Sasuke?"

 _"Very_ aware," Yuzuki said with a coldness that would have impressed any Hyūga. "And if my Naruto-kun still had his physical body, there is nothing that would stop him from running off and...um..." she paused to turn around and look at the ghost Naruto, "what was it you always said, Naruto-kun?"

Ghost Naruto stood up and started throwing punches in the air. "Uh, fight?" Yuzuki guessed, but the yūrei shook his head. "Battle maybe?" He shook his head again and slammed his fist down on an imaginary table. "Oh, beat?" This time, she got a nod from her Naruto, who then pointed at the picture of Team Seven which could barely be seen through the window, and she knew he was pointing at the young Sasuke in the photo. "His?" Yuzuki guessed again. Naruto gave another nod, then pointed at his behind, causing Yuzuki to flush as she said "Ass?" which elicited the third and last nod, along with a darkening of the red on her cheeks.

"There is nothing that would stop my Naruto-kun from running off to find Sasuke-san and beat his ass if Naruto-kun still had his physical body," Yuzuki finished.

"And would you care to explain?" Hagoromo prompted. Yuzuki's face turned even redder, but now it was in anger rather than embarrassment.

"Maybe it's because Sasuke-san killed almost everyone dear to me and my Naruto-kun? And more importantly, did it knowingly? I mean, you did tell him what was going to happen!" she yelled.

"Informing him of the imminent and certain future should his wife die was meant as a motivator to keep him in your timeline and take action to protect her," the Rikudō Sennin attempted to defend himself. "Had he decided to force his way into the past, he would have upset the balance you were sent to restore."

"But why did it have to be me? Sasuke-san or Sakura-san could have fixed this a lot more easily and they wouldn't have to live with this constant pain! Do you have any idea what it's like?" she asked, her voice faltering as she looked at the ghost Naruto again and was on the verge of tears. "To lose the person closest to you, and then lose everyone else you ever cared about, only to get your most precious person back but learn that he's still too far away to reach?" Yuzuki reached out to touch her Naruto, but her hand could only make contact with the air as his form shimmered out of view when she tried to caress his cheek. "To want to touch him, to make him happy, but finding out that you can't?" A lone tear, the first of many, slid down her cheeks as she turned back around to face Hagoromo, giving him her sad smile. "I thought my heart was already broken and too many pieces had been lost to ever repair it. With each new fragment that disappeared, I became more numb, until I felt like just a hollow shell of my former self."

As she was saying this, her Naruto continued to hit himself over and over again, cursing himself for how great a fool he had been to never be able to recognize her feelings for what they were. It was only in death that he had finally realized that he and Hinata shared a mutual love, but even in this renewed existence he still did not understand the true depth of her feelings. And watching her pour her heart out here _hurt._ Her Naruto walked over and tightly gripped her hand in his, and if he had been able to shed tears in his current state of existence, they would be overflowing, just as Yuzuki's were.

"I often found myself sitting in his empty, lonely apartment, feeling that I'd been afflicted with the same curse he suffered from each day of his life. It was a waking nightmare. Even if it wasn't quite the same, I still started to feel the loneliness he felt. It ate away at me like a disease. My instincts kept screaming at me to run away, but I forced myself to stay as long as I could, hoping I could either kill my emotions or build up some form of resistance to the pain. Eventually, what happened to Naruto-kun also happened to me. Any emotion I showed that wasn't one of sadness was just a mask. I thought that all that was left for me was to just end it, so I could join Naruto-kun in the Pure World. But then you..." and in an instant, her tears stopped and she trained her Byakugan on Hagoromo, showing the _fury_ she felt when she tried to avenge Naruto's death at the hands of Black Zetsu.

"You and everyone else just could not leave well enough alone! You, Sasuke-san, Sakura-san, Otō-sama, all of you! Do we all have to give up everything and be left with nothing at the end!? No, wait, don't answer that! You've already taken everything away and yet you still expect me and Naruto-kun to sacrifice even more, to fix the problems _you_ created!"

"You are being selfish," Hagoromo chided Yuzuki. "Naruto always understood that the good of the village, or in this case the entire world, must be placed first no matter the personal cost. He inherited this belief from his father."

Yuzuki just laughed bitterly. "At this point, I don't even care anymore because once again, you are forcing me to put up with this time travel dilemma. You are not giving me the right to choose for myself. I hope this pleases you, because it would be so much easier to just do what I was going to do before you brought me here. Once again, I am putting my happiness—no, _our_ happiness," she corrected herself while glancing ever so briefly at her Naruto, "on hold for everyone else. That's the way my life has always been, the way it will always be," she said with the fatalism that once belonged to her cousin Neji, and received an angry look from her Naruto for it. "And do _not_ give me any more of your empty platitudes," she snapped at Hagoromo before he could speak up. "I have heard enough of those to last for two lifetimes."

"Very well." The Rikudō Sennin sighed deeply. "But this will not be our last encounter, Byakugan Princess," he pointed out as his spirit faded into the wind.

x-x

"I cannot say I am looking forward to the next one," Yuzuki said to the empty space Hagoromo occupied as time returned to its normal flow. However, the living Naruto was too engrossed in slurping down the last of the broth from his portion of ramen to notice she had spoken, or that she was suddenly (from his perspective) in a foul mood.

"Ah! That hit the spot!" Naruto shouted, his voice as cheery as ever whenever he consumed his comfort food. "I guess I'll go train now. Do you want to come watch, Yuzuki?"

"I need to be alone," Yuzuki dismissed him curtly before walking inside and closing the door behind her. Naruto was left feeling confused and upset. He didn't get it; Yuzuki seemed like a genuinely nice person, one of the rare few in the world, so why was she now acting like this? Was her kindness just an act? Was she already sick of him and decided to start showing her true side? Was she really no different than the rest of the villagers after all?

He sighed and ran off to start training on his own.

x-x

Yuzuki needed nearly an hour to regain control over her emotions after finally taking a chance to vent her anger. In a sense, it was relieving; in the past, she had always been either submissive or only voiced her opinions in a jumble, and had never been authoritative. She didn't enjoy being angry, but then again, there wasn't much she _had_ enjoyed over the past four years. But realizing that she finally had the confidence to speak her mind, no matter what others thought, was liberating.

But she also realized in that moment of liberation that she had been too harsh on the living Naruto. Yuzuki sighed and walked back outside to watch him train, only to feel guilty. He was throwing punches at the single training dummy that was installed, but all of the blows he landed were halfhearted. After she went off on him like that, it was no wonder that he would be feeling depressed.

"Naruto-kun?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, hey Yuzuki," he replied, but his voice was sullen and he did not lift his head up to look her in the eyes.

"Is something wrong, Naruto-kun?"

"No, no, I'm fine!" Naruto shouted with false bravado. "I just don't know what's coming over me. But hey, do you remember when you said I got angry in the store and I didn't remember why I was angry? Well, when you left the same thing happened, only this time I got depressed instead of angry. My emotions seem to be all over the place today, huh?"

Yuzuki walked up to Naruto, sat down next to him and pulled him into her lap, giving him an apologetic hug. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. It's my fault for snapping at you like that."

"That's nonsense, Yuzuki! I knew you were angry, but since you defended me in the store I knew you weren't angry at me."

"Oh." Yuzuki smiled softly at him. "Well, I will try to control myself better around you, okay Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah, I'll try too."

"Okay then." Yuzuki and Naruto sat in silence for what seemed like forever, but was only a few minutes. During that time, Yuzuki continued holding Naruto in her arms, and he let himself relax in her embrace. Part of her tried to reason that she was letting herself get too close to this timeline's Naruto, but the rest of her was telling her that Naruto needed her to comfort him and reassure him that everything was okay.

Eventually, Naruto began fidgeting, and Yuzuki broke the embrace. Then she asked, "Would you like it if I joined you in your training, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto lit up and sprang to his feet. "Heck yeah! I'll never turn down any training partners, y'know!"

Yuzuki giggled. "Just try to go easy on me for a little while, okay? I haven't done any training for a long time."

"What!?" Naruto shouted and almost panicked. "That's not good! We need to get you back into shape, Yuzuki!" Yuzuki giggled even more now that Naruto's natural enthusiasm was fully restored.

"Yes, I agree. Let's get started." With that, Yuzuki stood and performed a series of light stretches. When she finished, she saw a certain glint in Naruto's eyes and knew right then that he was going to try and push both of them to their limits in the ensuing sparring match. She also saw a look of jealousy on Yūrei Naruto's face as he floated up to sit on a nearby tree branch, knowing it was impossible for him to join the spar.

Yuzuki allowed Naruto to charge in for the first attack. She deflected it easily, swatting his arm away, but he flowed smoothly into the next punch, forcing her into a defensive stance. Within a few seconds Yuzuki found that she was already having difficulties keeping up with Naruto. _'Well, he has been training hard with Jiraiya-sama, while all I have done is suffer one breakdown after another the past four years, so it is not surprising that he currently holds the upper hand,'_ she thought. But her disadvantage in this fight did not stem just from the fact she was rusty. She remembered Naruto's fight with Neji—well, as much of it as she saw before her heart acted up and she needed to be healed by Kabuto—and knew he was familiar with the Hyūga Clan's fighting style, Jūken (Gentle Fist).

 _'This might be harder than I first thought,'_ her mind raced as Naruto attempted a leg sweep, but she pivoted out of the way and pushed him back with a palm thrust. She would need to take the offensive, and soon. Fortunately, Naruto was leaving her with several opportunities to reverse the flow of this spar; it was only a question of how soon she needed to act before her current stance became untenable.

"Gentle Fist Art: Exorcism!" Yuzuki shouted. She rushed in and struck Naruto in the chest with a two-handed palm strike, then quickly followed it up with a second while he was off-balance, and then launched herself off him with her legs while also sending him flying backwards. She took the few moments of reprieve the basic maneuver bought her, then resumed her offensive.

"Ouch..." Naruto groaned as he forced himself to his feet. Seeing that Yuzuki was rushing towards him again, he attempted to make the Clone hand seal for his signature technique, but before he could, Yuzuki did something no Hyūga would ever do, something she had once seen Sakura do in the rare few times she had been able to watch her Naruto train together with his pink-haired teammate. She launched herself off his arms and landed directly behind him, disrupting him from forming the hand seal, then as he tried to turn around to defend himself, she grabbed one of his wrists and flipped him back around, twisting his arm behind him.

"Ow, ow, ow! Okay, okay, I give up!" he shouted. "Please don't break my arm or anything!"

Yuzuki smiled and let go of his arm, but then pulled him into another hug. "I would never seriously hurt you unless our lives depended on it, Naruto-kun," she said. "Let's take a short break and then we'll go again."

"Okay, but are you sure you're up for it? I don't mean to be rude, Yuzuki, but you are out of practice."

"Yes, I am just a bit rusty. But it won't be long before I'll have to go easy on you." Naruto laughed at Yuzuki's insinuation, and she quickly joined in, but stopped a few seconds later. Naruto also stopped his laughter when she did, wondering if something was bothering her, but then he noticed that there wasn't a single trace of sadness showing in her eyes. Yuzuki had felt genuine happiness, a feeling that was somewhat foreign to her after the four years she had spent in mourning. She looked back at the living Naruto, and also at the ghost Naruto, and saw they were also giving her their true smiles.

Finally, she felt warm again. Finally, she could start to believe that she could truly be happy, even if it was only for a short time.

x-x

Yuzuki and the living Naruto continued their physical training well into the night, until they were both exhausted. Yuzuki had tired out after a few hours, forcing her to rest while Naruto continued his training on his own until his massive reserves were wasted. Considering her dire lack of training in the years since his death in the future, she was astonished that she had even lasted that long. But her surprise gave way to immense satisfaction with the results of their spars, and a new belief that maybe she still was as strong as her Naruto claimed.

Before they went back to the cottage, Yuzuki convinced Naruto to let her carry him the entire way. Naruto had wanted to protest, but the only sound that came out of his mouth was a yawn, so he gave in and let her carry him on her back. As Yuzuki walked inside and tucked him into his futon, Naruto admitted to himself that he really liked the attention his new friend was giving him and that he wanted more. With her presence in his life, part of him didn't feel so lonely anymore.

Once the younger Naruto was asleep, Yuzuki went back into the living room and sat down on the couch, sipping a cup of chamomile tea as she again reflected on recent events. Most of what had occurred today was bad, but there was also so much good. Enough that part of her couldn't help but wish that the three of them—herself and both living and ghost Naruto—could just stay here like this forever. But Yuzuki knew that would never work out, for two big reasons. One, her Naruto was still a ghost and she could never return the affection he gave her. And two, she could not take this timeline's Naruto away from her younger self. Yuzuki had to make sure Hinata confessed her feelings sooner, so Hinata could become the pillar of strength he needed to survive once she ceased to exist. Yet Yuzuki also believed it was necessary to show some affection towards the younger Naruto, so that he could learn to recognize his own feelings and act on them sooner as well.

Yuzuki sighed as she felt the ghost Naruto's arm wrap around her, beckoning her to rest on his lap. The minimal contact they had was still comforting to her in a way, even if each touch he gave her felt cold, like she was walking in an autumn breeze. She also felt that he was able to take some small comfort in his limited ability to interact with her, and with that thought, she closed her eyes.

But the small measure of comfort the ghost Naruto took in being in Yuzuki's presence was not enough, and he found himself struggling not to succumb to the dark emotions which plagued him. The part of him which harbored resentment towards Konoha for the way he was treated in his childhood was planting terrible thoughts in him again, and it had to be fought off. He could not physically vent his anger, and it would not do him, his younger self or Yuzuki any good to indulge in that anger. Yet he could not help but dwell on the two subjects which made him so angry, who just so happened to be the only two people alive who were even bigger idiots than him.

The supreme asshole of the Hyūga Clan, Hiashi...and the Last Uchiha, who he wasn't sure he could call his friend anymore.

 _'Sasuke, how could you? Did anything I told you ever reach you? Or were you just acting the part?'_ A part of him was disgusted that Sasuke had ever approached Yuzuki; even after everything she did to help him let go of his darkness, he had still given in and done all those terrible things. Naruto wasn't sure if he could ever forgive Sasuke for his actions in the future, but despite that, he would do everything in his power to help Yuzuki and bring Sasuke's younger self back to Konoha. But when she did, he would make sure Sasuke was firmly chained down and could not ever attempt to cause anymore harm to any of his precious people. And Naruto wouldn't be doing it for his sake. After what Sasuke did, Naruto believed Sakura deserved to find someone better. But his limited understanding of Yuzuki's feelings further confirmed to him that his surrogate sister's love for the Last Uchiha would never dwindle, and Naruto could not deny Sakura her right to happiness.

He sighed, inaudibly, as he looked down at his lap and heard Yuzuki's soft breathing, signifying her fall into sleep. Gently, he pulled a blanket over her and stroked her hair as he waited for morning to come.

x-x

 **Editor's Note: How many of you remember the merchant scene from Chapter 3 of the original version? It was one of the scenes both me and the author really liked, so he tried to rework it as best he could to fit the corrected timeline of this rewrite.**

 **A note on the in-verse currency – Originally we were going to set the ratio to 15 ryō = $1, but decided to revise it to a simpler 10 ryō = $1. This exchange ratio will likely be applied to all stories the author chooses to write in the future. It's also close enough to the current exchange ratio of Japanese yen to U.S. dollars at the time of updating this chapter (¥106 = $1), since 1 ryō is stated to be equal to 10 yen.**

 **Now, to answer a review from Hektols for Chapter 1.**

 **1)** **The point you brought up about Sasuke needing Hamura chakra from Hinata to counter Toneri is rendered moot by two words: Preta Path. Assuming that Toneri did not begin the fight with Localized Reincarnation Explosion, Sasuke could just absorb Toneri's Hamura chakra with the Rinnegan the moment he enters Tenseigan Chakra Mode or uses any ninjutsu, and become immune to the Ōtsutsuki chakra theft abilities.**

 **2) There are two reasons why Sasuke did** **n'** **t sacrifice himself to resurrect Naruto. The first reason is explained by the** **scroll Sasuke wrote for Yuzu** **ki** **and Yūrei!Naruto.** **Admittedly, it isn't a good answer, but it's too difficult to find a better one. A** **nd the** **second reason? He** _ **can't.**_ **Rinne Tensei doesn't work unless the soul of the deceased is still in Naraka, or was forcibly reanimated with the Edo Tensei or a similar "impure" reincarnation technique. Naruto's soul, while not in the Pure Land, doesn't meet either condition.**

 **A/N: My editor covered a lot of what I was going to say, so I'll try to be brief. He brought up a good point on having the connection between the two Narutos be stronger than I'd originally planned and so he came up with the idea that Living Naruto should feel Ghost Naruto's emotions, however it should be clear that said emotions need to be particularly strong. It can't be something that just happens on a whim. As we move into events of the canon timeline things are going to change rather dramatically from established manga canon and animé filler, but while still implying certain canon events in a way that makes sense. As many of you may have guessed, Naruto is NOT the main character of this story, Hinata/Yuzuki is, so if the lack of Naruto scenes at times comes as a surprise, it shouldn't anymore. However, Naruto is still obviously vital as this story, while a Tragedy, is also still a Romance (even if the genre tags don't say so), and, well, the franchise is named after him lol. I'm still coming up with ideas as the story goes along but I have the basic outline set up so I hope chapters won't take too long to upload. I am going to take a short break from TEBS so I can work on this story more. No, I'm not going to stop writing it, however this story is going to be much shorter than that one; I might even make it into two books just to keep track of it better. Also, we are working on some of the chapters we feel need to be fixed. Before we can move on, we have to make sure that nothing contradicts itself y'know. I should be back to writing that story before too long, so don't be sad. Anyway, please continue to leave feedback/share your thoughts and ask any questions you feel need answering. Also guys, I don't do stories focused on other main pairings, so don't ask; if I write any other pairs besides NH they are a subplot. Besides, I have more than enough ideas on hand for stories, but if I need more ideas, I'll ask. Thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**hapter 6: The Truth Behind Feelings**

The first thing Yuzuki thought when she saw the pitch black surroundings was that she was about to suffer from another of her lucid nightmares. The second was that sometimes she would forget how to tell the difference between her nightmare realm and the real world, because every day since _that_ day had felt like an unending nightmare.

"What cruelties does my mind want to make me suffer this time?" she wondered aloud as she walked through the darkness, and felt the sensation of water splashing between her feet. After a little inspection, Yuzuki determined that her dream had placed her inside a sewer. It was of little comfort, knowing she was not in the real world but also knowing she would at least not have to relive the same nightmare that plagued her almost every night. She would not have to relive the memory of watching Naruto die in her arms, or any of the various ways her mind would pervert that memory.

The worst nightmare of all, and also the one that reoccurred most often, started with images from the dream selected for her by the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Everything would be so perfect at first, with her and Naruto sitting down on a bench in one of Konoha's parks, and her resting her head on his shoulder. But then everything changed abruptly. Day turned to night, the sun was replaced by the blood red glow of the Rinne Sharingan reflected off the moon, and Yuzuki was no longer in the park, but was back on the final battlefield which was littered with corpses and wooden shrapnel. She would cling to Naruto, hoping he could assuage her fear, but to her horror she discovered that he was just another of the victims fatally pierced by the Wood Style: Cutting Jutsu Obito used to decimate the Shinobi Alliance. She would then hear evil laughter from above her, and to her horror she would find the Jūbi staring down at her, but instead of Madara and Obito controlling the monstrosity, it was Black Zetsu. The sickening sound of his laugh would pierce through her soul as he once more commanded the Jūbi to rain down those wooden spikes on the battlefield.

And then she would wake up in a cold sweat, screaming.

But this was an entirely new nightmare for her to experience. She allowed herself to wander down the sewer, not trying to escape the newest scenario conjured by her mindscape. But she was soon about to learn that she wasn't in _her_ mindscape.

 **"Oh no, this is most certainly not a dream, young Hyūga,"** a guttural voice roared, pushing Yuzuki back with the sheer force of its breath. She spun around and sure enough, there was a giant metal gate locked shut by a large tag with the kanji for "Seal" written on it. Behind that gate was the shadow of a fox that was many thousands of times larger than her.

"Kurama-sama!" Yuzuki exclaimed, feeling a misplaced sense of relief from seeing the monster fox, completely unmindful of the consequences of using its true name in a timeline where it had yet to know freedom from its hate.

The shadow disappeared and the orange fur of Kurama replaced it, staring down Yuzuki and raising an eyebrow at her greeting. **"Well, that confirms my suspicions. Only my creator is supposed to know my true name. You can go on deceiving mortals all you want, but we bijū, who were spawned from the husk of the Jūbi possess a higher state of awareness. When someone such as yourself has broken the laws of time, we are instantly alerted to the transgression. So do not try to deceive me."**

Yuzuki was left stunned by Kurama's accusations and insinuations. The kitsune knew she had traveled through time? She tried to speak up to defend herself, but the ability to form words abandoned her.

 **"Do not try to beat around the bush, either,"** Kurama went on, lowering its head to deliver a more intense stare. **"I have no interest in most of the events of your future and could not care less about why you have arrived in this time. But you are a threat to my safety as well as that of the brat I have to put up with while the Eight Trigrams Seal keeps me imprisoned inside him. But I am curious as to what sort of relationship you had with the brat in the future. You have only just met him, and yet he already trusts you. That is not normal.**

 **"You are not his mother or any reincarnation of her, obviously; I made sure she was killed along with that blasted Fourth Hokage during my few moments of freedom. That could only make you a close friend, or..."** Kurama stopped for a moment as it came to a major realization, and then gave Yuzuki a sinister grin. **"It seems that my creator has picked up a sense of humor since he died. Who would have thought he would have the audacity to bring the brat's tragic lover across the time stream?"** Kurama roared in mocking laughter at the revelation, and Yuzuki shook in anger, clenching her fists. If there was one thing besides Zetsu that she hated, it was anyone who would dare to belittle Naruto or to mock or question her feelings for him. But she forced herself to remain silent.

 **"I do not particularly care how my container moved on from his obsession with his pink-haired teammate in your timeline, but I must confess I am impressed with the taste he is currently too stupid to notice he has. How did he manage to win you over? Did he drop down to all fours and beg like a pathetic dog for you to stay? I cannot see why a Hyūga would take interest in the brat as anything other than a slave."**

"Shut up," Yuzuki spoke through clenched teeth. Kurama obeyed for the moment, but only out of intrigue. The kitsune observed that the young woman was at least more cognizant than its container and completely lacked his youthful ignorance. She was fully aware of the power it wielded, yet her shaking was not because she was afraid.

 **"How interesting. Being brought into my presence does not impress you or make you cower in fear. You would rather choose to be angry at me."**

"Why do you care what I feel towards you right now?" Yuzuki snapped.

Kurama's eyes narrowed and it pressed its head ever closer to the bars as a last effort to unnerve the intruder in its container's mindscape. **"Do not attempt to conceal your negative emotions from me, human. Even if I was not gifted with the ability to sense them, the look in your eyes tells me all I could ever need to know."** Yuzuki had to bite back a retort; the fox was unwilling to listen and she lacked the words to explain how it was wrong about everything, so she forced herself to remain silent. But then it decided to push her over the edge with its next words.

 **"If you need someone to blame for his death, you are pointing your finger at the wrong entity. I do not know or care how the kid died in the future, but I can sense that I was not responsible for ending his existence. If you mean to pin the blame on someone, blame it on that accursed Uchiha who ripped me out of his mother's stomach while her seal was weakened from childbirth. Had it not been for the Madara impersonator's ambition, the kid would not have had to live the empty life of a jinchūriki. He would have enjoyed a long life full of happiness, becoming the 'vessel of love' his mother often called herself, and sickened me even more.**

 **"Feh. Humans are ridiculous creatures to be able to invent the insipid concept of love, and frankly, I am astounded that anyone could show him either platonic or romantic love. Such feelings are a weakness which elude my comprehension. And just the thought of consummating that love is almost as disgusting as the way this kid lives his life. No manners, no respect. His lifestyle is closer to an animal's, such is the lack of regard he has for his own well-being. If you want my opinion, you should have moved on and left him to his female teammate. They share just enough similarities that it would be a fitting match, if the object of his crush ever starts crushing back. But a Hyūga showing such asinine emotions for him, allowing such weakness to cripple you? That cost you the minute amount of respect I hold for your clan."**

"You're horrible..." Yuzuki gritted out.

 **"What were you expecting? Humans are no different than cattle from my perspective. But you, who can trace your lineage to my creator's brother, might pass for something more. But no matter. Even if you manage to prevent the fate which befell my container in your future, you will only be delaying the inevitable. And it will be all the sweeter to me if you manage it. It only took me moments after being sealed to acquire a complete understanding of the seal that keeps me trapped inside the kid. Sooner or later, my plans to escape this prison, killing him in the process, will come to fruition."**

Yuzuki's head slumped and her indigo hair blocked her eyesight. "You are right about one thing, Kurama," she said, having lost all the respect she gained for him in her future. "It all started with you. You're the reason everyone hated Naruto-kun. You're the reason he was lonely his entire life, but you did not kill him. No, the truth is..." and she lifted her head, giving the monster fox a sad smile, but one filled with pride, "Naruto-kun defeated you."

Kurama snarled at Yuzuki's claim. **"You would dare to mock me, petulant child?"**

"I am only stating the truth. Even with all the power you claim to possess, between you, me and Naruto-kun, you are the only one here who is weak. You are weaker than Naruto-kun because of your hate. You are incapable of defeating Naruto-kun with your hatred. No matter how hard you might make Naruto-kun fall, he will always rise again."

Kurama roared in mocking laughter. **"You claim that your intended mate cannot be defeated. And yet you are here, proving you a liar. Why else would you be here, if the kid did not die?"**

"Naruto-kun was never beaten!" Yuzuki shouted defiantly. "Naruto-kun was cheated!" The vehemence with which she roared caught Kurama off-guard, and the kitsune actually walked away from the edge of its cage. "Struck down by a coward when he tried to help me! And you," she hissed as she activated her Byakugan, "you were his friend! His partner! Naruto-kun trusted you with his life and you let him die!"

Kurama's stunned silence only lasted a few moments before it burst out laughing once more. **"Bwahahahaha! Friends? With that brat? This proves what I said about my creator picking up a sense of humor! Clearly you are the court jester of the Hyūga, if they decided to hire one in your time, and are fittingly naïve! Never in my existence would I ever allow a lowly, piteous human to befriend me, especially one who was chosen as my jailer!"**

"Mock me all you want now," Yuzuki muttered before vanishing. An instant later, she reappeared inside the cage and her hands glowed blue. "But you will not mock Naruto-kun ever again! It is only because of his kindness that you were ever accepted by the people of Konoha!" In her righteous rage, she achieved a feat that she had not performed since the war, combining two of the most devastating taijutsu of the Hyūga Clan: the Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms and the Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists. Yuzuki lashed out at Kurama, each palm thrust slicing at its fur and astoundingly, even managed to inflict some amount of pain. Two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, and then finally, a full sixty-four palms connected with the chakra construct, and upon the landing of the last blow Kurama was launched back like a cannonball.

Kurama rose to its feet and snarled at Yuzuki, ready to destroy her completely with its counterattack. **"You foolish mortal girl! You cannot hope to win against me even with the power Hamura awakened inside of you! And you even made the mistake of stepping inside my cage! It will be the last thing you'll ever regret in your pathetic life!"** And then it lunged at Yuzuki, who braced herself for her impending death. Her anger towards the bijū had clouded her judgment, leading her to make the fatal mistake of putting herself in a position where Kurama could shatter her mind beyond repair.

But the bijū never got the chance to crush her in its jaws. Yuzuki's sight was blinded by light, and she was expelled from Naruto's mindscape.

x-x

Yuzuki shot up into a sitting position, breathing rapidly after her experience. The ghost Naruto looked at her with alarm and soothingly rubbed her back, coaxing her to relax and breathe more slowly. After about a minute, she successfully regained her composure and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," Yuzuki said. "It's just that..." She went on to describe the encounter with Kurama which had transpired during her sleep. The look in Naruto's eyes indicated that he was impressed with her taijutsu display when she was pushed to attack, but he was frowning at her, telling her without the words he could not say that he greatly disapproved of the altercation between his mate and the bijū.

"If you could speak, you would ask me what I was thinking, yes?" Still frowning at her, Naruto nodded. Of course he would have scolded anyone who attacked Kurama out of the blue like that and lived to tell the tale. Her actions in his younger self's mindscape reeked of insanity. And while he knew she would hate him for it if he ever tried, a part of him wanted to just lock her away from all danger and treat her with the care she deserved, until her mind and heart had healed and weren't so fragile anymore.

"You'll have to forgive me, Naruto-kun, but I cannot stand it anymore," Yuzuki explained. "I could not stand it in the past, either. Each time someone belittled or mistreated you, my deepest desire was to punish them and make them see differently, but my own issues held me back. But no more. It does not matter to me who does it; I refuse to let anyone talk badly about you or your younger self ever again." Though she spoke only the truth, her old tendencies still kicked in and made it hard for her to be assertive towards her Naruto. The whole time she was speaking, there was a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Kurama is being difficult again, I see," an all too familiar voice intruded on the intimate moment. Yuzuki and the ghost Naruto both sprung to their feet and turned outside to find Hagoromo hovering near the fire pit, again having misused his "Creation of All Things" ability to produce a frying pan, this time with bacon.

"Is this truly necessary?" an extremely annoyed Yuzuki demanded. "Or are you just trying to keep me upset with you by keeping me under constant surveillance like my clan used to do?"

"It saddens me that I must remind you of why my visits are required," the Sage of Six Paths replied in a disapproving tone. "I am only trying to guide you down the right path. I cannot intervene more directly in this timeline unless the Jūbi is again reformed, or an even greater threat replaces it. I can only act as a guide to help you make the choices needed to secure a better future. Also, being transcended does not stop me from feeling lonely sometimes," he confessed.

Yuzuki went from annoyed to incensed. "So, you are allowed to be selfish, but I do not have that same right? You're the oldest hypocrite in the world."

"Spare me your melodrama, Byakugan Princess. If I possessed the power to indulge in selfishness, this ordeal would already be over. I told you before we traveled back in time that just because I am transcended does not make me omnipotent. Now, can you put your misgivings aside for right now and display some hospitality?"

"Perhaps, but only barely." Yuzuki sighed and glanced towards her right, then groaned and rubbed her eyes as she saw the first rays of sunlight pierce the morning sky. It was a bit of a struggle to rectify her behavior in front of the Rikudō Sennin, but she knew that venting her anger would do her no good. "Maybe I'm just a little cranky from waking up so early. I haven't been a morning person since _that_ day."

"There was no time for a more gentle awakening. A messenger toad will arrive here within thirty minutes instructing you to return to Konoha immediately, without Jiraiya-san. Our discussion must occur now."

"Very well." Yuzuki sighed and sat down at Hagoromo's behest, allowing herself to relax just a little in the ghost Naruto's embrace.

"When time returns to normal, there will be enough food left behind for the living Naruto and yourself to enjoy a proper breakfast. Now, you are wondering about the episode you had inside Naruto's mindscape, yes?" Yuzuki's eyes widened a fraction as she realized why that incident with Kurama had been able to occur.

"You set up that encounter with Kurama," the time-traveling Hyūga observed.

"I see you are catching on more quickly," the Rikudō Sennin replied. "I also appreciate the effort you are making to rein in your anger, Yuzuki-san, but yes, I did enable your journey into the living Naruto's mindscape. We need Kurama to become our ally just like in the previous timeline. Unfortunately, Kurama is still consumed by centuries of hate. The first attempt to secure the bijū's allegiance was, put simply, a disaster."

"I cannot tolerate any insults to Naruto-kun. But before we continue this discussion, I will need to lay down a few rules if I am to continue my participation in your plan," Yuzuki said politely, but with an assertiveness which made it clear she would not allow Hagoromo any room to debate the issue.

"But of course. As needless as this reminder is, I did state that you have full control over the changes in the timeline you desire to affect provided they do not jeopardize your primary mission. But before you share your conditions, I would point out that something Kurama said during your fight with it caught my attention."

"Oh?"

"Kurama stated that your relationship with the living Naruto is a danger to the both of you. What that means, I have yet to learn. While Kurama will become our ally once more, at this time it remains uncooperative. But Kurama was created from the chakra of the Jūbi, the entity my mother became after merging with the Shinju of this dimension. The future we came here to prevent was created in part by my failure to fully predict the contingencies she put into place in the moments just before her original sealing. Had I not failed, there might never have been any need for us to be here." Yuzuki remained silent as Hagoromo continued his speech. She, too, shared a part of the blame for that future.

"My lack of knowledge on the subject Kurama brought up is gravely concerning. I do not know if the kitsune is referring to your current relationship with the living Naruto, expressing concern for its own well-being due to your unnatural existence here, or if the problem also involves your younger self. If the latter is the case, resolving the issue will become far more troublesome."

"Why can't you just talk it out with Kurama?" Yuzuki wondered.

"In its present state, Kurama does not readily open up to others, myself included. Kurama is already aware of your presence and thus is also aware that I am aiding you to the best of my regrettably limited ability, so it is currently refusing all attempts at communication." At that, the ghost Naruto made a few motions in an attempt to tell the Rikudō Sennin that he could talk some sense into his old partner, but Hagoromo shook his head and replied, "Any attempt to enter your younger self's mindscape would never work, Naruto. Your spirit remains anchored to Yuzuki's _physical_ body and cannot venture more than three meters away without causing yourself harm. Because of this anchor, attempting to enter another person's mindscape is impossible. However, when Yuzuki's spirit leaves her body like it did this morning it will not cause your spirit harm, nor will you be aware of anything that transpires. Now, while you do share a connection with your younger self, Yuzuki remains your primary anchor since she and you both hail from the same timeline and do not contradict the existence of each other. Which, I might add, is another reason Sasuke and Sakura could not be selected for this mission."

Yuzuki sighed again and rubbed her temples. She had not been expecting an answer to yesterday's big question so soon and now that she had it, she had to fight off a headache.

"Sasuke and Sakura were incompatible for two primary reasons," Hagoromo went on. "First, they would have had no regard for preserving the balance; they would sooner just act. And second, their bonds with Naruto are not strong enough to sustain his future self's presence here. Yes, being his surrogate family does provide them with a strong bond, but yours was the only one powerful enough to allow for his return. Assigning the mission to them instead of you simply was not within the realm of possibilities."

And now it finally started to make sense why Yuzuki was the one Hagoromo selected. The ghost Naruto was still trying to wrap his head around it, but she would make him see in time. "I think I am beginning to understand now. Please forgive my rudeness and animosity towards you yesterday."

"There is nothing to forgive. You did, and still do have the right to harbor anger towards me." Hagoromo's spirit began to flicker out of view, and he sighed. "It seems my time here has expired for now. Even my incredible chakra is finite, and I must leave this realm for it to be replenished so I can renew my presence at a later date. Until we meet again, Byakugan Princess."

x-x

Kurama laid down on its fore-paws and mused over recent events. The Hyūga girl had not been the only entity it had sensed when it felt the distortions in the time stream. It was not difficult for it to speculate on who the other presence was and in a matter of seconds, the kitsune had calculated the worst possible outcome of its creator's latest folly.

 _ **'My creator knew there was a yūrei anchored to that woman when he chose to bring her backwards in time, yet still went through with his plans? That was a grave mistake. The kid's future self never departed for the Pure**_ _ **Land**_ _ **after he died. His presence here is a disastrous complication.'**_

Kurama knew there were only two ways for a disembodied soul to be anchored to this plane of existence without granting that soul access to a physical body. The first involved a ritual conceived by certain cults that roamed the lands during the era before Kaguya consumed the forbidden fruit and brought the power of chakra into this world, the same cults that had first discovered that time travel was possible. Kurama did not know all of the details; many of the ancient rites had been lost to time, but it knew enough to understand that this ritual was an abomination far worse than many of the kinjutsu employed by shinobi. And it was able to rule out any possibility of said ritual being used.

That left the second method. Yūrei could only exist because there was a strong emotion that prevented them from passing on to the afterlife. Vengeance was out of the question; Kurama had been trying to make Naruto succumb to hate for years, and was unsuccessful. If the Hyūga woman was right about the future, not only would Kurama continue to fail, but Naruto would also find a way to free Kurama from its hate. The kitsune did not believe that for a second, but the accusation from the Hyūga was sufficient to make revenge a non-option for Naruto's future self's inability to cross over into the Pure Land, even if it was true that Kurama's container was murdered by another malicious entity and had been treated harshly for most of his life.

Kurama considered the emotions it sensed in the time traveler during her venture into Naruto's mindscape. There was a powerful sorrow inside her still; Kurama knew the Hyūga was in love with Naruto, and would have suffered greatly after Naruto's death. But was it possible that Naruto's future self had recognized and tried, but failed to return her feelings just before he died?

Was the reason Naruto's future self remained in the mortal realm after his death...regret that he had not seen her feelings and perished before they could be resolved? And if that was the case...

 _ **'This is the worst possible scenario for the kid becoming a yūrei, his regrets regarding the Hyūga woman,'**_ Kurama thought to itself. _**'His feelings are strong enough that another transformation of his soul may be possible while he persists in his haunting. This is such a mess my creator has made. But why do I feel like it is affecting me? I shouldn't care, and yet...'**_

It didn't understand why these feelings were persisting. Kurama was a construct of pure chakra; it did not live and die like most entities, and was above and beyond most of the other rules that applied to them. It couldn't have been affected by the distortions in the time stream, at least not this strongly. So then why was it that the Hyūga woman's words still echoed in its mind?

 _"You were his friend! His partner! Naruto-kun trusted you and you let him die!"_

 _ **'The kid and I, becoming partners? What nonsense.'**_ But a part of Kurama could see how this might have been possible in the events leading to the desolate future the Hyūga woman escaped from. Naruto was annoyingly persistent; his determination was on a level Kurama had never seen in any human since its creator transcended life. And, even though Kurama hated Naruto, it did hold at least some level of respect for him for that.

 _ **'Still, this problem will pose a threat to my existence if it is not addressed. I suppose I will attempt to protect the kid and ally with him for the time being. If nothing else, I am curious as to how this turn of events will unfold. But you already knew that, didn't you old man?'**_

x-x

Back in Konoha, a certain training ground was seeing far more activity than usual at this hour. Team Eight had assembled several hours early today after the Hinata of this time was awoken by a strange feeling and snuck out of her clan's estate to find her teammates. They were now sitting together, having finished their warm-up exercises and taking a break before the bulk of their training started; Kiba was leaning back against a tree with his ninken partner Akamaru napping soundly beside him, while Shino stared off into the horizon, and Hinata...well, her feelings were more jumbled than usual.

"I'm kinda glad you woke us up so early, Hinata," Kiba said. "It's been getting boring around here lately. Don't you agree, Shino?"

"Kiba-kun, you are more prone to boredom than the rest of us," Shino stated.

"And you don't get bored? Not that I would know if you are. It's always so hard to tell what you're feeling." Kiba groaned as he shifted his body around slightly. It only lasted for a moment, however, as his eyes suddenly lit up. "Hey, I just had an idea. We've never seen you take your sunglasses off, Shino. I'm kinda curious about why that is," he added in a challenging tone.

"Please don't fight, you guys," Hinata pleaded with the two boys. "Kurenai-sensei told us to stay focused."

"Fine," Kiba half-said, half-yawned as he settled back down. "But you can't deny that things in Konoha haven't been as interesting since Naruto left."

"Kiba!" Shino scolded him. Kiba was about to ask why Shino decided to be confrontational this morning when he turned and saw that Hinata's mood had dampened considerably, and she was turning away from them and sighing.

"Ah, crap. I didn't mean to do that, Hinata!" Kiba tried to apologize to the indigo-haired girl.

"It's okay, Kiba-kun," Hinata sighed. "I don't know why you guys think you need to tread carefully around me when it comes to Naruto-kun. I just miss him, is all..."

Leave it to Hinata to understate things and attempt to avoid the bigger issues. The prolonged absence of Naruto from Konoha was a sore spot for her. Things had grown continuously more difficult since his necessary departure ten months ago. She had not been able to see him off, but could only make a silent vow to grow stronger so that she would be able to support him when he came back. Sure, she was keeping that vow, and her relationships with her family were improving, but without Naruto nearby, Hinata's self-confidence issues still flared up on occasion. He had become deeply ingrained in her life, to the point that sometimes it seemed like she would die if she lost him.

Kiba and Shino also noticed that something else was off with Hinata this morning. She had awoken before sunrise, which was somewhat irregular for her and acted like she was trying to forget about a nightmare, though she didn't say this. Hinata was closed off to them, keeping whatever it was that was bothering her to herself.

Suddenly, Hinata felt dizzy, like all of her energy was being sapped from her at once. She pushed herself to her feet and tried to shake it off, but stumbled and tripped. Luckily, Shino moved fast enough to catch her before she fell face-first onto the ground.

"Are you alright, Hinata-san?" Shino asked.

"Y-Yes, Shino-kun. I'm just feeling more tired than usual. I should return home now. Please apologize to Kurenai-sensei for me when she arrives."

"Are you certain, Hinata-san? I can accompany you if you wish." Shino's concern was nearly bleeding out of him as he tried to assist his teammate. During all the time Team Eight had spent together, Hinata had never suffered from a moment of weakness like this one.

"N-No, I am fine now, Shino-kun. I'll see you later."

"Alright, take care Hinata," Kiba called out to her as she started walking away from the training grounds. Hinata turned around and acknowledged Kiba with a brief nod, then continued walking home.

Hinata hadn't wanted to bother them with her problems. At first, she'd thought a simple training session would have made things better, but now she knew that would not be the case. And since she had tried, she had made Kiba and Shino worry about her. But with good reason; what happened back there was a wholly unique incident in Hinata's life. Her mind and body were both aching simultaneously, as though she had been hit with something that targeted her very soul. It had only lasted a few moments, but in that brief time frame she felt grief and loneliness, sadness and sorrow on a scale she never imagined was possible. If that feeling had lasted just a few moments longer, she knew the emotional overload would have caused her to lose consciousness.

 _'What in the world is happening to me?'_ Hinata thought to herself, still feeling weak from that intense surge of negative emotions. She was deeply shaken by the event, and her thoughts turned back towards Naruto, seeking the strength she needed to push through this. After being stricken with those terrible feelings, she couldn't help but worry about him, and long for his return.

 _'Please be safe, Naruto-kun. Please come home soon...'_

x-x

Yuzuki kept herself in the ghost Naruto's embrace for a few minutes after Hagoromo vanished, mulling over everything the Sage told her. Realizing she had no time to waste, she pushed herself up and ran off to the nearby stream, then stripped off her clothes and jumped in. The yūrei was very deeply embarrassed by her actions and had problems trying to find a bush close enough to hide behind so he wouldn't see Yuzuki naked. Yuzuki, however, shook her head and insisted that her Naruto didn't need to hide. She really didn't mind him looking at her. Plus, she reasoned he would have to get used to it in the eventuality that they were sent out of Konoha on missions after she was reinstated into the shinobi military program.

When Naruto remained stubborn about it, a slightly blushing Yuzuki asked, "Do you remember the Bikōchū Search Mission, Naruto-kun?" Naruto, eyes screwed shut and face stained crimson, nodded, and she told him, "The beautiful girl you saw dancing at the waterfall that night was me. You've already seen me naked before, and you don't need to shy away from me now. The traditions of the Hyūga Clan don't apply to me anymore, Naruto-kun. It's alright. You don't need to be ashamed of looking at me." Naruto's eyes flew open, and the damage was done. The sight of her bare beauty now seared into his mind, he barely forced himself to listen to her and went out closer to her, but still struggled to keep his eyes open. However, when Yuzuki did catch Naruto looking at her, she noticed the look of awe on his face and likened his expression to that of a blind man recently cured of his ailment and seeing the world for the first time.

Once she finished bathing and dressed herself, Yuzuki went back inside the cottage and gently nudged the living Naruto, urging him to awaken. She ended up needing to help him get dressed and get outside after discovering that he was still exhausted from yesterday's events. She sighed as she had him sit in her lap, and rubbed his temples while he slowly ate the bacon Hagoromo provided for him. Seeing him still half-asleep made her feel terrible.

After he finished, Yuzuki left him alone for a few minutes to retrieve a few vital supplies. She was about to activate the security seals on the cottage when she saw Naruto about to trip over himself and crash. She sighed and, after zipping up his jacket and lifting the hood over his head, knelt down on one knee and offered to carry him on her back. Naruto gratefully accepted the offer and the moment he wrapped his arms around her neck he fell asleep again. Yuzuki giggled when she heard him start snoring; she thought Naruto was really adorable while he slept.

Her business here finished, Yuzuki gave her ghost Naruto a brief glance and took note of the envy she found in his eyes. She started jumping across tree branches, pushing chakra into her legs to increase her traveling speed. For the next several hours, the only sound they heard that wasn't part of the background noise was the living Naruto's soft snoring.

About halfway between Jiraiya's cottage and the village walls, Naruto was roused from his sleep, causing Yuzuki to mistime her jump to another tree branch and fall to the ground. She winced from the impact and rubbed her knees, then covered her ears when Naruto started shouting incoherently about why he was being carried like that. Yuzuki explained that he was just so tired from yesterday's training and that as much as she wanted to let him sleep, they had to get back to Konoha as soon as possible. Naruto sighed and said, "Well, if you really wanted to then I guess it's okay."

Yuzuki was about to have them continue when she heard both her stomach and Naruto's growl. Blushing, she took out a portable cooking unit from Naruto's pack along with a small pot, canteen and two cups of instant ramen, and prepared the midday meal. But her embarrassment turned to laughter when a stray spider fell into Naruto's cup, startling him enough to make him spill the ramen all over his lap.

"Hey! That's not funny, y'know!" Naruto protested and tried to back away from Yuzuki. This only made her laugh harder.

"Don't...hehe...be like that," Yuzuki urged during her laughing fit. "Now...hehe...come here, please," she asked, taking a few napkins out of her purse. Naruto reluctantly listened and squirmed as she, while struggling to stop laughing, pressed the napkins against his groin. His entire face was stained crimson and he tried in vain to hide it under his hood. Eventually, she managed to get herself under control, but the damage to Naruto's pride was already done. He was still grumbling incessantly and shying away from her during most of the remainder of their return to Konoha.

When they finally arrived at the village gates, the sun had fallen below the horizon and the sky was almost completely dark, with only a few traces of orange and lavender among the dark blue. The regular guards, Izumo and Kotetsu, were no longer on duty, but in their stead were a pair of Anbu waiting on Yuzuki's arrival. One of them stepped forward and said, "Hyūga-san, we need you to come with us."

Yuzuki was caught by surprise. "What's going on?"

"I'm afraid that's classified, ma'am." At that point, the living Naruto decided he'd had enough and was going to step in to defend his new close friend. Anbu or not, they were not going to take her away from him so soon after she found him.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Naruto demanded. "All she was doing was walking with me!" This caused the two Anbu to turn away and look at each other, their masks hiding the confusion on their faces.

"Um...that's not why we're here, Uzumaki-san."

"Oh…" Naruto sunk into his jacket. "Well...this is awkward…"

"Could you give me one minute, please?" Yuzuki asked the Anbu. They nodded, acceding to her request. Then she turned around and placed her hands on Naruto's shoulders, and bent her knees slightly to look him directly in the eyes. "I have to go now, Naruto-kun, but this is not goodbye. I will see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah…" Naruto replied, his voice filled with great sadness as he kicked his feet.

"What's wrong? Are you not happy to be home?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure I'm happy, I'm just...I'm not looking forward to cleaning up my messy apartment, y'know?" he lied. But Yuzuki knew the real reason he was sad was because as soon as he went back to his apartment, he would be alone again, and she was already beating herself up over it. She didn't know how she was supposed to cheer him up, so she did the only thing she felt she could do, and drew him into a hug, which he did not return. Whether it was out of embarrassment for the public display of affection or mistrust, she didn't know, but she felt his pain all the same.

The last Yuzuki saw of Naruto that evening was him stuffing his hands into his pockets and walking away. A single silver tear slid down his cheek, breaking her heart as the Anbu led her away from him and towards the Hokage Tower.

x-x

Yuzuki suppressed a feeling of nostalgia as she walked up the stairs towards the top level of the Hokage Tower and entered the office of the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju. The scene in the office did not surprise her in the slightest: there were several stacks of paperwork off to Tsunade's left, along with a few empty bottles of saké littering the floor, and Tsunade was, as usual bickering with her assistant Shizune Katō along with Jiraiya of the Sannin. As annoying as it could get, it was one of the things Yuzuki missed a lot. She hoped she would have a chance to make sure all three of them survived this time.

Tsunade was the first to notice Yuzuki's arrival and respond. "Pardon the mess here, miss," she greeted the time-traveling Hyūga. "As you can see, this meeting sorta happened at the last minute, thanks to a certain perverted former teammate of mine," she muttered, directing her usual displeasure towards Jiraiya.

"Well, excuse me for giving you all the details before calling the poor girl in here for you to bombard her with questions," the Toad Sage shot back.

"Sit down, Yuzuki-san," Tsunade instructed Yuzuki, ignoring Jiraiya. "Before we begin this meeting, would you like some saké?" she asked, pulling out a cup from one of the drawers.

"No thank you, Hokage-sama," Yuzuki politely declined. Shizune, however, was shaking her head in exasperation.

"Really, Tsunade-sama? The first thing you do when our guest arrives is try to get her drunk?" Shizune complained.

"Shizune-chan, sooner or later you'll realize that the world we deal with usually makes more sense while you're inebriated," Tsunade said.

"That's no excuse to try to get a nice girl like Yuzuki-san to damage her body with that stuff! Have you even looked at her? She can't possibly be old enough to drink!"

"Well, you know what they say, old enough to kill…" but Tsunade's voice trailed off because she knew Shizune had made her point regarding the inappropriate offer. Yuzuki appeared to still be in her teens, which wasn't that far off the mark from her actual age of twenty.

"She's a Hyūga, Tsunade," Jiraiya reminded her. "Clearly you're too drunk to remember that little detail."

"Shut up, you old perv!" Tsunade yelled, punching Jiraiya on the head and dropping him to his knees. "Anyone who heard what you told me after you got back would be in serious need of saké!"

"Um, excuse me?" Yuzuki said in her most polite tone, redirecting their attention at her just in time to stop Tsunade from getting into another one of her usual brawls with Jiraiya.

"My apologies, Yuzuki-san," Jiraiya said, lowering his head as he rose back to his feet. "Tsunade-hime insisted on having a few extra drinks just before you arrived."

"It's fine, but…"

"Don't you worry about me, miss; it'll take a lot more than that to get me truly drunk," Tsunade said. Yuzuki gave the Fifth a small nod and took her seat in one of the two chairs stationed in front of her desk.

"Now that you're here, we can finally get started. First, Yuzuki-san...that is a very nice name you have."

"Thank you," Yuzuki replied. "It was given to honor my late grandmother."

"I see. But you seem worried right now. Would you care to tell us why?"

"Well, I _was_ escorted here by a pair of Anbu right as…"

"Sorry about that," Shizune interjected before Yuzuki could bring up her concerns for Naruto. "We were trying to keep this under wraps for certain reasons."

"What reasons?" Yuzuki asked.

"Well, you being a Hyūga for one thing," Jiraiya piped in.

"And your mysterious connection to Naruto, of course," Tsunade added, finally addressing the pink elephant in the room.

Yuzuki groaned and pressed her fingertips against her temples. She had known this was coming and she knew she only had this one chance to convince Tsunade of her good intentions. "I have absolutely no interest in exploiting Naruto-kun to increase the influence of my clan," she said, honestly.

"Huh," the Slug Princess groaned, appearing to contemplate the time traveler's words for a moment; though, if she was going to be honest with herself, she had already made her decision well before Yuzuki arrived in her office. "Well, good. That takes care of step one!" she declared with a grin.

"W-what are you talking about?" Yuzuki asked, and almost immediately afterward cursed herself for stuttering under the pressure.

"We'll get to that later, Yuzuki-san," Shizune took over for Tsunade. "Now, does anyone in your clan, particularly Hiashi-sama or the clan elders, know about the relationship you have established with Naruto-kun?"

"Uh, well, no, but I still don't understand what—"

"And there's step two!" Tsunade shouted, and took a huge swig of her saké bottle. "Now, Shizune-chan, if you would?"

"Right away, Tsunade-sama," Shizune said, sighing as she handed Yuzuki a pen along with a short stack of paperwork. "I'll just need you to sign on the dotted lines."

"Wait, wait, _wait!"_ Yuzuki shouted, standing up from her chair and gripping her head in frustration like Naruto often did whenever he had a hard time processing something. "Just what the hell is going on here?" she demanded, catching the others off-guard for a moment with her outburst.

"She's got a bit of a mouth on her," Tsunade whispered softly to Jiraiya. "I like this one. We should definitely keep her around."

"Was any part of you listening when I told you this was a bad idea?" Jiraiya asked in reply.

"I'm still waiting on you to offer a better solution."

"Please, that's enough!" Yuzuki shouted, trying to get the two Sannin to stop bickering long enough to explain to her just what was going on here.

"I agree with Yuzuki-san," Shizune said. "You two are taking this way too far."

"And _you_ are out of line for trying to reprimand me, Shizune-chan," Tsunade shot back.

"Well, _someone_ has to keep your behavior in check!" her assistant shouted. Then she turned to face Yuzuki and saw the shocked expression on her face, and let out a nervous chuckle. "Eheheh, sorry about that Yuzuki-san. Tsunade-sama can get really scary sometimes."

"I-I've noticed," Yuzuki stammered. "C-Could you please tell me what these papers are and what is happening here? I just want this madness to end."

Shizune sighed deeply. It would seem that Yuzuki's luck right now was as bad as Tsunade's. "There isn't any easy way to say this, Yuzuki-san, so I'll just say it." She paused and took a deep breath, then continued, "Tsunade-sama wants you to adopt Naruto-kun."

The announcement from Shizune sent Yuzuki into an emotional overload she hadn't felt since the day her Naruto died. Helping his younger self was one thing, but being asked to become his surrogate mother? She immediately lost her grip on reality and did something she hadn't done for several years.

She fainted.

x-x

 _'That so did not happen,'_ all three of the conscious ninja in Tsunade's office thought simultaneously as they gave the passed out Yuzuki a look of disbelief. None of them could immediately recall the last time they had ever had someone suffer a fainting spell inside this office, and they'd been around long enough to have seen a very broad range of negative reactions to various things spoken here.

"Well…" Shizune was the first to speak up and break the awkward silence which resulted from Yuzuki passing out, "doesn't this remind you of Sakura-chan, Tsunade-sama?"

"Huh?" the Fifth asked in reply. "Wasn't it Hinata who always fainted?"

"No, it's definitely Sakura-chan who has the fainting problem. I would know; I always get stuck with her after your more grueling training sessions, Tsunade-sama."

"Ngh…" And all three of them diverted their attention back to Yuzuki as she groaned and pushed herself back into an upright position in the chair. Her eyes darted around as she regained her bearings, looking for the ghost Naruto. When she found him, he only gave her a concerned look and a shake of his head, confirming to her that yes, she had fainted. And she was going to beat herself up over this for quite some time, once she returned to her usual solitude.

"Yuzuki-san, are you okay?" Shizune asked, breaking her away from her self-deprecating thoughts.

"Y-Yes, Shizune-san, I am fine," Yuzuki replied, cursing herself again for the stutter she thought she had dealt with long ago.

"That's good. I apologize for dropping this on you, but like I said, there was no easy way to say it."

"No, it's alright. But, I must ask...why does it need to be me?" Jiraiya was about to answer that, but sulked away when both Tsunade and Shizune gave him a hardened glare, and wisely decided to remain quiet lest he incur further abuse from his former teammate and her assistant.

"Jiraiya-sama told us everything about the incident involving Naruto-kun," Shizune explained. "Somehow you were not only able to get close to him when he lost control, but manage to calm him down. Had you not shown up when you did, Jiraiya-sama could have easily been killed."

"Oh...that was nothing," Yuzuki tried to shrug it off. "I just did what should have been done."

"Don't try to play that game with us, Hyūga-san," now Jiraiya decided to speak.

"What you did was suicide," Tsunade added. "No one comes into direct contact with the Kyūbi no Yōko like that and lives to talk about it. Yet you're here and you were only barely harmed. Either you have some sort of technique which can be used to control the Kyūbi, in which case we'll have to ask that you hand over that technique right away, or…"

"It's something he feels towards you, specifically, that acts as a soothing countermeasure to the Kyūbi's influence," Shizune finished after a momentary pause to let it sink in that they thought the first possibility was complete BS. "You have known Naruto-kun for all of two days and yet he has already taken a shine to you and seems to trust you to a certain extent. That is an amazing feat, Yuzuki-san. No one else here can honestly say he has opened up to us that quickly."

"Well...I get what you're saying," Yuzuki said, "but what about Naruto-kun? Shouldn't he be given a say in this?"

"I'm sure you've noticed that the kid's growth has been dangerously stunted by the village's ostracizing him, yes?" Jiraiya asked. Yuzuki gave him a brief, tense nod. "Even if he were to say no, we do not believe he is capable of understanding why it is not in his best interests to refuse. Also, while he may be a shinobi, technically he is still a minor."

"But if that's why I'm here, why can't any of you take him in?"

"Well, let's see. First off, I'm always away from Konoha for long periods of time on high-ranking missions and to maintain the village's spy network, plus there's my reputation as a Super Pervert. Then we have Tsunade-hime, who's always busy either here or at the hospital, and when she's busy here she's always getting drunk. Both of us would be very bad influences on the kid if we adopted him. Shizune-san, on the other hand, lacks our glaring character flaws, but she's swamped by even more work than Tsunade. None of us are proper legal guardian material, Yuzuki-san."

"And what about the Hyūga Clan?" Yuzuki challenged. "Just me being a Hyūga would make adopting Naruto-kun a political nightmare." Right there, she thought she had them. She knew full well that there were still many in her clan who would try to exploit Naruto to gain greater influence in Konoha, making it impossible for her to become his legal guardian. Also, she was certain that if she did adopt Naruto, such a decision would drastically alter the future, and she believed she needed to keep things as close to the original timeline as possible, minus a few key changes—specifically, making sure Neji, Asuma and Jiraiya survived this time along with Naruto.

"What do you think the extra paperwork is for?" Tsunade replied. "If you agree to this, you'll also be agreeing to renounce the Hyūga name. You'll be emancipated from the clan, and they won't be able to use Naruto for their own personal benefit."

Check and mate. That statement from Tsunade crushed any argument Yuzuki could have made against taking in Naruto without revealing her true status as a time traveler. Renouncing the Hyūga name with the Hokage's official sanction would grant her automatic immunity to the Caged Bird Cursed Seal should the Hyūga learn of her existence. She would still be subject to Anbu surveillance, but only because Naruto himself was kept under watch in the name of village security; and she knew that eventually she would come under suspicion. But the real kicker was that if she still found a way to refuse and keep her distance, she would be betraying Naruto's trust. That was what really made it impossible to say no.

"Can...can I think about it and talk to Naruto-kun?" Yuzuki requested.

Tsunade nodded and said, "I've arranged for you to stay at a nearby hotel for tonight. But we'll need to hear your decision by tomorrow morning."

With that, Yuzuki stood up and bowed, then turned to leave. Tsunade and Jiraiya had given her quite the dilemma and she had no idea how she was supposed to address it. Between exposing herself and risking breaking Naruto…

She just felt so _lost._

x-x

After using the shower in her hotel room and struggling to eat dinner, Yuzuki fell into a restless sleep. The ghost Naruto was left to pace mindlessly across the room, just as lost in his own thoughts as she was in hers.

His understanding of the present situation was just too limited. He needed to know more before he could help Yuzuki. With what he did know now, the pieces just wouldn't fit together. He recalled Hagoromo mentioning Kurama's claims that his relationship with Yuzuki was "not normal". But how did that make any sense? Romantic love was normal, wasn't it? Despite his continued lack of experience with dealing with such feelings, he could at least be sure of that much, which just made this whole mess all the more confusing.

The yūrei really didn't know what he was supposed to do.

And the sudden change of surroundings that just hit him wasn't helping, either. One moment, he was glancing at the sleeping Yuzuki in a dark room; the next, he returned to a different, more familiar darkness. The darkness of his mindscape. But he was dead, and his Kurama gone as well; he shouldn't have a mindscape anymore, right?

"What the...what's going on?" Naruto asked, and a moment later, gasped. His voice...in here, he still had a voice! But…

 **"Don't get used to this,"** a darker voice answered. Naruto shot around to find an entity he thought he'd never have to see again: the manifestation of his darker emotions, clad in the same torn-up tracksuit and mesh armor he'd worn in his final moments. A perfect picture of how he'd looked, if it weren't for the whites of his counterpart's eyes being black.

"I thought I dealt with you back at the Falls of Truth," Naruto told his dark half.

 **"Clearly you have a lot more soul searching to do,"** Dark Naruto replied. **"But hey, let's give the kid a prize! He actually remembered me. Truly astonishing,"** he added, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Cut it out! Tell me what's going on! Why are you here? And if you're still here, then where's Kurama?"

 **"Hold the presses! I forgot how dense you really are,"** Dark Naruto taunted. **"The Yin chakra of Kurama dissipated when you died, remember? The Yang chakra...well, Sasuke never ceases to impress, does he? Subduing all the bijū with his Rinnegan and taking the whole world to hell, and he did it with only half of Kurama."**

"Don't bring that up," Naruto warned his dark half.

 **"Why not? You can't deny how badly it's affecting you. Why else am I here? And while we're at it, let's take another look at everything else. Becoming Hokage...hmm, that would have been pretty sweet if it had actually happened, y'know? But wait, you didn't accomplish that either. You didn't accomplish your dream, you didn't bring peace to the world. Just what** _ **did**_ **you manage to achieve in your short, pathetic life?"**

"Are you trying to pick a fight? We settled this back at the Falls. Why are you still here?"

 **"You settled nothing,"** Dark Naruto stated calmly, momentarily lacking the various condescending and malicious tones. **"You failed to keep your promise."**

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

 **"Have you already forgotten again? It's like I said...the whole world fell apart because you didn't save it."**

"That's not my fault! And besides, from what Hinata said the village did acknowledge that I would've been Hokage if I'd lived!"

 **"A fat lot of good that did. Memorials lose their meaning in time, Naruto. Look around you. This place is as desolate as the future world, all because you got yourself killed before your time."**

"I'm tired of listening to your rant! Just get to the damn point!"

Dark Naruto shot his counterpart a look of pure contempt and spat out, **"Fine. Your whole life was defined by empty promises. You said you'd make it to the top, gain the acknowledgment you sought so you wouldn't be alone anymore, however…"** and the dark side suddenly appeared in front of Naruto and nailed him with a vicious punch to his jaw, knocking him into the sewer water. Naruto struggled to rise to his feet, and coughed up the water he inadvertently swallowed when he fell.

 **"Look where all your talking got us!"** Dark Naruto continued ranting as he spread his arms. **"I just feel** _ **so**_ **alive in here now that we're** _ **dead!"**_

Naruto had had enough and charged at him, but his dark half easily caught the telegraphed punch and threw him back into the water. Not letting up for even a second, his dark half stomped on his back and held him in place for almost a minute. Even though he was already dead and still somehow in his mindscape, Naruto still felt like he was drowning while he stayed pinned down.

 **"You and your big dreams! You just had to seek the whole world's attention, didn't you?"**

"Shut up!" Naruto yelled, forcing himself to his feet with greater difficulty than before. "My dream—"

 **"Your dream was bullshit!"** the dark half shouted back, and this time rammed his knee into Naruto's groin. Then he followed up with several brutal punches to the midsection, before wrapping his hand around Naruto's neck and lifting him up into the air. Naruto couldn't even begin to resist the onslaught from his dark side. It was easily a thousand times worse than their last encounter.

"Why...can't I beat you?" Naruto coughed out.

 **"Because I reject your existence,"** Dark Naruto hissed. **"Your ideals are pathetic. Your honeyed words are poison. You can't win me over anymore."** Then he slammed Naruto back into the water and unloaded a barrage of punches to the yūrei's chest. The dark half reveled in each moan of pain that escaped Naruto's lips. It had been so long since Naruto was able to feel this kind of pain, and the dark half was going to milk this scene for all it was worth.

 **"If you wanted acknowledgment so badly, why the** _ **fuck**_ **did you have to try to gain it from everyone all at once? Why did it have to be from the whole world? Why couldn't it be enough to just have** _ **one**_ **precious person truly acknowledge you?"**

This time, Naruto coughed up blood as he rose back up before answering, "What good...would one person be...if no one else is willing to support you? That's why...I had to be Hokage back then. I...I needed to be someone that everyone looked up to!"

Wordlessly, without using a hand seal, Dark Naruto created thousands of copies of himself with the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Naruto looked at the faces of as many of them as he could and was more confused than ever. Dark Naruto was the representation of his hate, his resentment. Why, then, did they all look like they were devastated?

 **"So** _ **her**_ **acknowledgment wasn't good enough, huh?"** the thousands of Dark Narutos demanded. Their counterpart flinched from the demand and their facial expressions; he had only seen the look they wore on one other person, and that person was Hinata.

"That's not what I—" Naruto tried to protest, but even he realized how foolish it was to try to say that in this kind of situation.

The Dark Narutos all gave a hollow laugh. **"I knew it,"** they shouted in unison. **"You never cared for her at all!"**

"That's not true and you know it!" Naruto shouted back with all the strength he could muster. "I love Hinata! But you, you _can't_ love! You're only filled with my hate!"

 **"More lies!"** the horde of dark selves yelled. Naruto took more steps back, but soon found himself unable to move. **"I'm not just the manifestation of your hate, Naruto. I represent every emotion you didn't want to feel, and that includes love. You'll need to admit it the hard way, but you** _ **will**_ **admit it. You're not the one who loves Hinata.**

 **"It's me, it's always been ME!"** Every single one of the legion of Dark Narutos spawned Giant Rasengans in both hands. The yūrei was overwhelmed by their killing intent and couldn't do anything to resist no matter how much he wanted to fight back. One by one, the clones launched at him, tearing into him in an endless barrage. But no matter how much phantom pain he felt now as his dark half overwhelmed him with his attacks, the worst pain had already been inflicted.

 **"Every time she ever talked to us!"** one of the clones shouted as he hit Naruto with his portion of the Massive Rasengan Barrage, launching Naruto back an indeterminable distance.

 **"All the times she supported us!"** another Dark Naruto Shadow Clone shouted, launching Naruto into the air with his Giant Rasengans connecting from below.

 **"All the times she nearly gave her life to save us!"** more clones yelled as even more Rasengans pelted Naruto's midsection. Naruto plummeted back into the sewer floor, and the collision cracked the metal enough to cause all the water to start draining out. The original Dark Naruto then dispelled all the clones, knowing that his counterpart was finally starting to be broken. He slowly walked over to where Naruto landed and hovered over his limp form.

 **"And then she finally said she loved us,"** Dark Naruto whispered, tears falling from his eyes and onto what was left of his counterpart's bloodied kimono. Then he slammed a knee into Naruto's stomach and began to relentlessly punch him in the face.

 **"But you ruined everything!"** And the barrage continued almost endlessly. When Dark Naruto finally stopped, it was not because he was tired of this fight. It was because he wanted his counterpart to truly understand just how worthless he made himself.

 **"Any feelings you claim to have for Hinata were never yours, because you hid them inside me. I knew from the very start how you were supposed to feel, and I tried my hardest to get you to wake up! But you were too obsessed with your stupid dream, your pitiful rivalry with that Uchiha traitor and that idiotic promise you made to his whore! In your desperation to satisfy their needs, you never once thought about your own! Now look where that's left us! You could have had everything that truly matters! But now she's forever out of our reach!"**

One last time, Dark Naruto grabbed his counterpart by the throat and forced his eyes to stay open as he locked the broken spirit in a death grip. Words could not describe the hate, the fury that was expressed through the dark persona's eyes.

 **"So don't you dare try to claim you love her, you worthless piece of trash!"** Naruto's darkness shouted as he repeatedly slammed his head against the ground. **"Hinata is** _ **mine!**_ **I will not allow you to speak to her, touch her or even look at her ever again!"**

And the dark half's barrage continued, but this time it would have no end. Naruto could not resist, nor even try to plead his case to his counterpart. He could only lay there and allow himself to feel this pain, this punishment that he had well and truly earned. And neither he nor his darkness were either cognizant or caring of the fact that each blow struck by his darkness was a far greater betrayal of Hinata's feelings than the darkness claimed Naruto was guilty of committing.

For each blow that was struck pushed the world towards an even darker fate than the one Hinata was here to prevent.


	7. Chapter 7

**Editor's Note: This is Version Two of the original chapter, with several scenes that were either newly added or heavily revised from the first post.**

x-x

 **Chapter 7: Home**

It wasn't until one of the civilian clerks at the hotel went inside Yuzuki's room and reminded her that she needed to check out by noon that she awoke from her restless slumber. Most of her sleep had been wasted either on wrestling with the thoughts on what path she should take, or on the usual nightmares.

She yawned as she clumsily climbed out of her bed and began her morning rituals to prepare for today's important business. Not counting her answer to Tsunade's request to adopt the living Naruto, her main priority was to get herself reenlisted into Konoha's shinobi military program so she could provide for herself while she and the younger Hinata remained separate entities. But that would have to come at the same time as she gave Tsunade her answer to the adoption issue, so first she would have to locate Naruto and talk to him about that issue.

Yuzuki could not immediately recall the last time she had a similar amount of work to get done. Ever since she was discharged from military service in the future, her workload was usually kept light, but now she really had it cut out for her.

Before she could start making herself presentable, she noticed that the ghost Naruto was nowhere in sight. She started to worry; could he have already faded away so soon after joining her in the past? She rubbed her eyes, hoping she could just attribute his disappearance to her grogginess. Once her eyesight cleared, she still could not see him. She hoped then that it was just a small trick; her Naruto was still transparent, after all.

She was about to rush out in a panic when she finally noticed him collapsed on the floor, looking like he was in great pain.

"Naruto-kun, are you okay?" Yuzuki called out. By instinct, she reached out for him, trying to gently nudge him even though she knew she could not touch him. At first, there was no response. She tried again, and again, until eventually Naruto's eyes slowly opened, and he let out an inaudible groan while he gripped his head.

The yūrei remained still for a few moments, only moving his head, as if trying to gain his bearings. His behavior wasn't making any sense to Yuzuki. What had happened to him last night?

Finally, he began moving again. Hesitantly, Naruto reached out to gently stroke Yuzuki's cheek, showing a nervousness he was sure he'd never felt during his time among the living. He was stricken by joy and grief, on levels he was sure he'd never experienced before he died. Seeing that Yuzuki wasn't backing away despite that it was him, the darkness personified and not his pathetic counterpart, he yanked her into his arms and started showering her with kisses and nuzzles.

Yuzuki froze up for a moment, then started to relax. This sudden display of affection from her Naruto came as a massive surprise, but she permitted it. When he finally released his embrace, he was still holding one of her hands in both of his and bowing his head, as though thanking someone. Desiring to know what brought on this behavior, Yuzuki asked Naruto to lift up his face and look him in the eyes, but in spite of the expression of love she saw there she noticed two oddities. First, was that his eyes were red and surrounded by black. And second, they seemed to be sparkling, not with tears, but there was something there that she didn't like.

Most of Yuzuki's mind was screaming at her, trying to tell her that this was not her Naruto-kun. But her heart...she didn't care if the ghost Naruto was possessed by darkness; to her he was still Naruto, and how could he truly be lost to darkness if he was still showing her so much love? She fought to purge her mind of any rebellious thoughts as she remained in Naruto's lap, compromising with herself to investigate later as she rested her head on his chest and tried to enjoy this new wave of affection as long as she could.

x-x

Several blocks away, the living Naruto shot up out his bed, drenched in a cold sweat. On occasion, he would suffer nightmares which he was quick to assume were inflicted on him by the monster fox sealed in his gut. This morning was another nightmare. But this one had been much too different from the others.

 _Many dark silhouettes of bodies impaled on wooden spikes were littering a battlefield during the blackest night. The barren ground was soaked with blood, shrapnel and corpses, and the tears of some of those who were still alive. In the background, there was a giant tree rising to reach the moon, which had turned blood red and bore an image which looked eerily similar to a Sharingan. Evil laughter echoed through the field, clashing against the sound of a girl's screams as she ran towards him. He tried to see why she was screaming in pain, then too late, noticed the black kunai jutting out from his chest..._

That nightmare had felt so _real,_ like it wasn't just a nightmare, but a memory of something that actually happened. But that didn't make any sense. Why would he be reliving a memory of something he knew hadn't actually happened yet?

Naruto tried to shrug it off as he discarded his sleepwear and entered the shower, turning the hot water up as high as he could stand. He tried to focus on something, anything else to get those images out of his head, but it was to no avail. The nightmare was going to stick with him for a while and mess with the rest of his day: training, reacquainting himself with Ichiraku ramen, and meeting up with all his friends, including his newest friend Yuzuki whom he was particularly anxious to see.

Once he finished with his shower and dried himself off, Naruto slipped on his new clothes, minus the jacket—he would have to get more clothing soon—and started boiling a pot of water over the stove. When it finished boiling, he poured it into a cup of instant ramen, but when the first noodles hit his tongue he found that they tasted bland and lacking. Was it an effect of the nightmare? Or was it something else? Either way, it was odd; even with instant ramen, Naruto always made sure the noodles were prepared correctly. Oh well. He wasn't all that hungry right now anyway—which was also strange, considering he normally had a massive appetite and could consume twenty or more bowls of Ichiraku's divine ramen before he was satisfied.

"Oh yeah," Naruto said to himself as he threw the half-empty cup into the trash can. "Yuzuki said she would come see me today!" The self-reminder immediately changed his mood. However, before he could head out to find her, his happy thoughts were halted by a forceful knock on his front door.

"Naruto-baka!" he heard Sakura call. "Wake up!"

 _'Oh crap,'_ he thought as he slipped on his new jacket and ran to open the door. "Hey, Sakura-chan!" he greeted his pink-haired teammate, his tone chipper and belying the bad feelings he had about today. "What's up?"

Sakura sighed, reining in her anger. "What do you think you're doing? I had to find out from someone else that you were back! Why didn't you come visit me? Come to think of it, you came back from your training trip early. What happened while you were gone?"

"It's a long story, Sakura-chan," Naruto said as he scratched the back of his head. "Come in and I'll tell you all about it!"

"I can't." Sakura shook her head. "I'm busy all day long. I just stopped by to see if the rumors were true. Which reminds me..." Naruto involuntarily tensed up when Sakura's voice trailed off. He knew from years of experience just what was coming...

...but it didn't help him at all to block or dodge the punch that connected with his jaw, knocking him over the kitchen table.

"Ow!" Naruto whined. "That really hurt! What was that for, Sakura-chan?"

To his surprise, Sakura laughed. "You dummy," she said as she walked over to him and offered a gloved hand to help him up, then pulled him into a hug. "I couldn't help but worry about you while you were gone. And here you are, trying to act all tough again." That was the second time in a minute that Naruto was left feeling surprised. Sakura was never this affectionate towards him. It felt nice, but...at the same time it didn't feel the way he once thought it would. And just what else changed in Konoha during the ten months he was gone?

"Geez, Naruto," Sakura continued after letting him go when she felt him squirming a bit, "it doesn't look like you grew all that much while you were away. I like the new outfit, though, but I thought there would be a lot more orange like you usually wore before you left."

"Oh, uh, sorry about all that," Naruto said with his classic grin. "You grew a lot, though. A lot stronger and a whole lot scarier, too," he added with a slight shiver, then relaxed when Sakura gave him a friendly smirk. "But I was wondering, do you think you could help me out before you leave? Me and Ero-sennin met this really nice Hyūga lady just before we came back to the village, and I was hoping someone would help me track her down."

Sakura gave him a look of curiosity as she tugged at the edge of her red top. "That's weird. Hinata told me her father doesn't like it when any of the Hyūga leave the village by themselves. Neji-san pretty much said the same thing when I asked him about it."

"It's probably because of that stupid seal they have." Naruto frowned. "But Yuzuki's part of the Main House, so she shouldn't have so many problems coming and going like that, right?"

Sakura shook her head and adjusted her ponytail; she really needed to get another haircut soon, but hadn't had the time to do so with Tsunade's grueling training sessions. "Anyone who doesn't have the seal catches more flak than someone who does. Hiashi-sama really doesn't approve when Hinata is sent out of the village. He always worries that someone will steal her Byakugan. It's the same with any Hyūga, regardless of which house they're in."

"Well, maybe he's just worrying about her? Hinata told me on one of my missions with her before me and Ero-sennin left that her old man's been trying to change since I beat Neji back at the Chūnin Exams. She told me he wasn't always such a prick, y'know?"

Sakura just shrugged. "So your new friend, her name is Yuzuki?" she asked, quickly changing the subject back to Naruto's mystery Hyūga. Naruto nodded enthusiastically, and she added, "I don't think I've heard of her. Hinata doesn't talk about her family much, so this Yuzuki might be hard to find, especially if she's part of the Main House like you said. Why do you want to find her anyway, Naruto? Even after you beat Neji-san and saved the village from Gaara-sama, most of the Hyūga still don't like you that much. Aside from Neji-san and Hinata—"

"Wait," Naruto interrupted. "Why'd you call Gaara '-sama' just now?"

"Didn't you hear?" Sakura asked. Naruto shook his head, and she sighed again. "Gaara's going to become the new Kazekage soon, if he hasn't already." For a while, Sakura wondered if that had been the wrong thing to say to Naruto. His head fell and for a moment, she thought he looked upset.

"Gaara's...Kazekage now?" Naruto asked softly, and Sakura gave him a hesitant nod. "Oh man!" he shouted, erasing any worries Sakura had about his mood. "I'm kinda jealous of him now, but that's totally awesome! His village finally acknowledged him for who he is! Looks like I'll have to work a whole lot harder now if I wanna become Hokage, y'know!" he declared while thumping his right fist against his chest.

"Phew." Sakura shook her head again and breathed a sigh of relief. "You had me worried again. But anyway, back to Yuzuki-san. The Hyūga probably won't appreciate you showing up at their door asking for her. What's the deal with her?"

"Well, here's the thing," Naruto tried to explain. "I only met Yuzuki two days ago, but she seems to know a whole lot about me. Not only that, but she was very friendly, just like Hinata, and she actually stayed with me for those entire two days and accompanied me back to Konoha. It's not everyday I meet someone as nice as Yuzuki, y'know? She's got me all curious about her."

"Hmm..." Sakura stood in a thinking pose for a few seconds. "Well now you're making me curious too, Naruto. I'll ask Tsunade-shishō about it once I get a chance. She's the Hokage, after all; she should know something about Yuzuki-san."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot that Tsunade-bā-chan made you her apprentice before me and Ero-sennin left! It's really awesome you made it that far! But, it's also gotta be tough."

"Definitely, but it sure has its moments," Sakura agreed. "I really need to get going now, Naruto. I'll talk to you later. And good luck with finding Yuzuki-san!" she added and ran off before Naruto could say anything to keep her there longer.

Naruto closed the door and walked back to his table, and sat there for a few minutes, contemplating on what he should do. Normally, the first thing he would have done is run off to Training Ground 3, but for some reason he didn't want to use any of his energy on training until he knew there was nothing else he needed to do, such as an important mission, or...

"I shouldn't wait for Yuzuki to come find me," Naruto said to himself. Yes, looking for her was what he really needed to do. "I should go and find her now!"

x-x

While this was going on, a broken, bloodied and chained Naruto was forced to watch from behind the gates which once contained his Kurama as his dark half handled Yuzuki with tenderness, stressing the point said dark half was making about his affections being shallow and closed off. Naruto thought he saw Yuzuki wanting to back away for a moment, but lost the hope that she would force his dark half to relinquish control when she relaxed into the embrace of darkness. Naruto had never seen Yuzuki look so happy and content as she was in the presence of his dark half. He had never imagined his darkness was capable of showing such a pure emotion.

True to his word, Dark Naruto spotted him spying on the scene and turned off all access he had to his own senses. The dark half would not allow him to see anything of Yuzuki anymore. He would only be allowed to see just how pathetic the dark half thought he truly was.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Naruto cried, his tears and wailing worse than they'd ever been while he was alive. "Haven't I suffered enough? Let me out of here! I...I don't want to be alone again!" But no, Dark Naruto was a creature of selfishness and would not hear his pleas. The chill of loneliness fell onto him again, made all the worse by the fact he was a spirit imprisoned by himself. Devastated, he curled up into the fetal position, and did not see how he would be able to stop crying from this unbearable pain.

x-x

Yuzuki had just managed to finish taking her morning shower when she noticed that the ghost Naruto was again acting strange. She was tempted to ask what was wrong, but decided it was best not to pressure him. Besides, she had too many concerns of her own; and as much as she hated ignoring his problems, the adoption issue Tsunade brought up was one that could alter the entire timeline, thus it took the highest priority for now.

Politely checking out of the hotel Tsunade sent her to last night, she started walking through the streets towards the Hokage Tower to both deliver her answer and attempt to register as a ninja of Konoha. She was lost in her thoughts and neglected her situational awareness enough that she bumped into someone hard enough to force them to stumble.

"Oh! Excuse me, miss!" the victim of Yuzuki's accident said towards her. Only now did Yuzuki notice just who she had bumped into.

It was her younger counterpart, a few centimeters shorter than she'd been the day Naruto returned to Konoha in the original timeline. Her chosen ninja attire—a loose-fitting lavender and cream jacket, navy blue jeans and black sandals—was still the same as it had been a year from now, but her hair was only a little past shoulder length. Yuzuki suddenly felt weak as she took in the appearance of this timeline's version of herself, but was able to force herself to remain conscious. Hinata, on the other hand, collapsed hard onto the ground almost immediately after seeing her older self and was passed out from the shock of this accidental encounter.

 _'Why did it have to be like this?'_ Yuzuki thought as she lifted Hinata into her arms and carried her to a close alleyway, away from the crowds before they could question why a Hyūga suddenly collapsed. Hagoromo had stated that it was dangerous at best to have any direct contact with her younger self, but Yuzuki knew an encounter between her and Hinata prior to their merging was inevitable. However, she had hoped that said encounter would not have occurred this soon! The link between them was still too new and fragile. This premature meeting would surely produce more bad results than good.

It took almost thirty minutes for her counterpart to regain consciousness. Hinata groaned as her eyes slowly opened, and she had to try more than once to push herself to her feet. During that time, Yuzuki had jumped onto a nearby rooftop, keeping watch. Once Hinata came to, Yuzuki jumped back down to street level, startling her, but thankfully not shocking her into fainting again.

"What...what happened?" Hinata asked her older self.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-chan, but you fainted when you saw me," Yuzuki answered.

"Huh?" Hinata involuntarily stepped backwards, almost tripping over a trash can. "What's going on? Who are you and how do you know my name?"

Yuzuki sighed. Thankfully, she had planned for this encounter even if it had occurred sooner than she'd expected. "You wouldn't have met me before. For certain reasons I'd rather not share at this time, I try to avoid as much contact with our clansmen as possible, only interacting with them when necessary. My name is Yuzuki."

Hinata remained silent for several long seconds. Yuzuki started to wonder if Hinata had already received some of her memories from the alternate timeline and was already starting to suspect her. "Is something wrong?" Yuzuki asked, shaking her out of whatever thoughts were going through her younger self's mind.

"Oh no, it's nothing. It's just...looking at you, you remind me of my mother. You also have my grandmother's name."

"Is that right?"

"Y-Yes, and you are very...beautiful, Yuzuki-san."

Yuzuki couldn't stop herself from blushing. It felt weird to receive a compliment from her younger self. "T-Thank you, Hinata-chan," she stammered.

"For what?" Hinata asked with a smile, her eyes betraying the slight confusion she felt. "I was only stating the truth."

The comment elicited another sigh from Yuzuki. She had honestly forgotten what she had been like in those days; how far she had pushed herself in her training to gain Naruto's attention, keep the acknowledgment of her clan, and be able to take pride in herself. She had been a bit more lively back then, riding the high from the praise she was receiving. She'd hungered for that praise, having been starved of it for so long. The reminder only reinforced her drive to ensure her younger self's happiness would not be stolen like hers had been.

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head, the only one she could see being beneficial to them both as it would buy her time, and give her younger self a chance to strengthen her bonds with Naruto. "I'm not sure if you've heard about it yet, Hinata-chan, but Naruto-kun returned to the village last night and I know he wants to see you."

"R-Really?" Hinata's face turned a brilliant red and she started to panic. "B-But...it's so soon...and he can't..."

"Shhh," Yuzuki cooed, pressing a finger to her younger self's lips. "Just trust me, Hinata-chan. I was with Naruto-kun when he came back, and he told me how much he missed you. It would really make his day better if you spent some time with him."

At that point, Yuzuki could have sworn Hinata's smile was as big as Naruto's usual grins. It was made more astonishing by the fact that unlike Naruto, this smile was also genuine. "Yes! I should go now! It was nice meeting you, Yuzuki-san!" Hinata gave her a very polite bow before running off. Yuzuki was struck by how happy her younger self was as she departed.

"Good luck..." Yuzuki whispered, adorning a small smile as Hinata disappeared into the crowd.

x-x

Hinata did not stop smiling at all as she ran towards Naruto's apartment. Her burst of happiness only faded once she made it to the door, but the transformation into a nervous wreck was swift. Her experience living in her clan's estate had destroyed her self-confidence; out of all the Hyūga, only her bodyguard Kō had treated her decently since the day she lost the position of heiress to her younger sister Hanabi. Her situation had only started to change after Naruto, with her encouragement, defeated Neji in the Chūnin Exam Finals and caused both her cousin and her father to have a change of heart. (She was still trying to repair her relationship with Hanabi.) Even so, she found it difficult to trust Yuzuki's assertions earlier that Naruto would welcome her company, despite knowing that he considered her one of his precious friends and had fought to defend her honor (even going so far as to make a vow on her blood).

Speaking of Yuzuki, her initial reaction to meeting her had been the strangest thing. She had trained so hard to overcome her old habits, but the first few seconds of seeing her had triggered an information overload strong enough to send her to dreamland for half an hour. It was as though her subconscious had been trying to tell her something important about Yuzuki.

And now that she was here anyway, she had rushed here without giving the slightest thought as to what she would actually say to the boy she loved, the boy who inspired her to grow stronger. She was growing increasingly embarrassed with herself as she continued waiting outside Naruto's front door, and started thinking that maybe it would be for the best if she left now, before anyone noticed she had ever been here...

 _'No, I shouldn't run away now. Naruto-kun wanted to see me,'_ Hinata thought, standing her ground. But just a few seconds later, her courage began to waver.

 _'Or maybe I should wait for another time...how can I be sure Yuzuki spoke the truth?'_ She started walking away, but stopped at the end of the hallway, mustered her courage and ran back to Naruto's front door.

 _'I really shouldn't back down now! I will see Naruto-kun today!'_

 _'Or maybe I should wait until tomorrow...'_ she thought as her courage wavered more quickly than before.

 _'No! Today for sure!'_ and this time, she almost tripped over herself as she ran back towards the door.

 _'But what if he doesn't want to see me...'_

But it was too late for her to back out. Hinata's thoughts trailed off and she stopped in mid-flight as the door opened.

"Oh, hey Hinata!" Naruto greeted his indigo-haired guest with his usual exuberance. "I wasn't expecting to see you here, y'know!"

"Na-Naruto-kun!" Hinata stammered as she turned around to face him.

"It's really great of you to come by, Hinata! I need you to help me out with something. But first, do you wanna get some ramen over at Ichiraku's?"

"Ramen with Naruto-kun? Alone?" _'Is Naruto-kun...asking me on a date?'_

"Well, I don't see anyone else around right now. If you want, though, I could go find Chōji or—"

"No!" Hinata yelled. Naruto gave her a look of surprise from the sudden increase in her voice.

"Eh? Is something wrong, Hinata?" he asked, his surprise changing to concern. Hinata blushed furiously upon realizing she had spoken up so loudly and fell into her old nervous habit of poking her index fingers together.

"N-No. I-I mean, I would love to go to Ichiraku's with you, Naruto-kun."

"Awesome! Let's go, Hinata!"

 _'That was a close one,'_ Hinata thought to herself. Not counting the missions Naruto had taken with Team Eight after the failed Sasuke Recovery Mission, the two of them had almost never been able to spend time together before he left the village; in fact, the only times she could recall them spending time together were either in the hospital after those missions, or during the big festival (which she had not been able to fully enjoy because training with Neji for the Senbon Sparring ritual had rendered her temporarily blind due to overuse of her Byakugan) just before Naruto left Konoha for his training journey. Every other attempt, something or someone had always managed to distract one or both of them. But right now, there were only a few people who knew he was back, and she wanted this chance to have him all to herself before the rest of their friends and teachers found out about his return.

Hinata was lost in her thoughts when she felt Naruto take her hand in his and start tugging on her. Realizing what was going on, her face turned scarlet from the physical contact.

"Na-Naruto-kun?" she stammered.

"Come on, Hinata! You're spacing out! Let's go!" Naruto told her as he tugged harder. If he used any more strength, she would end up getting dragged on her feet across the floor. Hinata felt faint, but when she saw Naruto's smile she knew she could not pass out on him now.

"Yes! Let's go!"

x-x

Once Naruto got Hinata out of the apartment complex, he insisted that they take their time walking to Ramen Ichiraku. Then he started talking in great length about his adventures with Jiraiya during the ten months he'd been away from Konoha, completely forgetting the reason why he'd even asked Hinata to spend time with him. All thoughts of Yuzuki were shoved to the back of his mind as he detailed each and every notable incident during the training journey, exaggerations and all.

Hinata, at first, had been surprised when Naruto slowed down all of a sudden and led her down the scenic route, but the surprise quickly faded once Naruto got wound up in his first tale. She barely said anything during their walk, not because of a lack of words to say, but because she was enthralled by Naruto's stories. She wanted to get lost in his voice, and so she chose to listen, only giving the barest responses to let him know she was listening.

Every moment Hinata managed to get alone with Naruto was precious to her, and she wanted to savor them all to the best of her ability.

"Well, it looks like we're here," Naruto announced, snapping her out of her reverie as he led her towards the bar. He then sat down and patted the stool next to him to invite her to sit with him. "Hey, Teuchi-oji-san! I need two large bowls of miso ramen!"

"I'll be with you in a minute," Teuchi announced from behind the curtains. He came out a few minutes later with their ramen and set the hot bowls down for them, then he leaned in close to Naruto and whispered, "It's good to see you back, Naruto-kun, though I am a bit surprised at who you brought with you. Didn't you have a crush on Sakura-san?"

Naruto's eyebrows twitched. "What's that supposed to mean Teuchi-oji-san?" he said loudly, his voice somewhat accusatory. All this did was get Hinata and the other customers present at the bar to give him several different kinds of looks, mostly out of curiosity.

"Please quiet down, Naruto-kun," Teuchi whispered to Naruto. He nodded a little too quickly, and Teuchi continued, "What I meant to ask is, when did you decide to ask Hinata-san out? This is a date, right?"

Hinata couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheeks as she listened to the conversation between her crush and his favorite chef. However, the color quickly drained from her face when Naruto laughed nervously, dashing her hopes. "What? No way, Teuchi-oji-san! Me and Hinata are just hanging out for a while. Besides, I still like Sakura-chan!"

Hinata sighed, oblivious to the fact Naruto's laughter was forced and he was less than enthusiastic about proclaiming his continued like of his first crush. She also completely missed the slight blush that had adorned his cheeks when Teuchi asked him about where things stood between him and her.

Teuchi hadn't missed it, however. He had known Naruto since before the blond entered the Konoha Ninja Academy, and could see right through him. Teuchi was also fully aware that the indigo-haired girl sitting across from him had acknowledged and supported Naruto even before he, his daughter and Iruka did. Furthermore, he knew that Naruto was slowly starting to give up on Sakura. Teuchi thought Naruto's pink-haired teammate was nice enough, at least when she wasn't attacking Naruto for doing something she thought was stupid, but it was clear to him that Sakura was the wrong girl for Naruto.

Teuchi winked at Naruto as he disappeared behind the curtains, telling him he would be back shortly to retrieve their bowls. Once he did, Naruto pulled out his wallet Gama-chan and reached inside, only to remember that it was completely empty.

"Oh, man," Naruto groaned. He looked at Hinata and asked, "Uh, Hinata, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Hm?" Hinata hummed, unable to give Naruto a proper reply due to the ramen noodles that were still in her mouth. She blushed again, believing that Naruto thought she must look ridiculous right now, but Naruto just smiled at her nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"I know it's wrong of me to ask you this, but I'm kinda broke right now because Ero-sennin kept spending all my money while we were out training, so I was wondering if I could pay you back later?"

Hinata swallowed her food and shook her head. "It's alright, Naruto-kun. I don't mind treating you."

"Eh? Really?" Naruto looked at her with a mixture of concern and suspicion in his eyes. He was naturally suspicious of anyone who offered to do something nice for him, but he hated that he felt this way about Hinata, who was perhaps the only one of his classmates he truly trusted. However, when he took a closer look into her eyes he remembered that she had never held any ill intent towards him. Naruto forgot the mistrust his upbringing conditioned him to have and grinned. "Thanks, Hinata! I promise I'll make it up to ya!"

Hinata nodded, knowing that words would fail her after what Naruto just said. She was elated; sure, it was just repaying a simple favor, but the fact remained that Naruto _wanted to do something for her._ Which also meant that he wanted to spend more time with her. She didn't think it was possible for this day to get any better.

But Teuchi was about to prove her wrong. He returned to the bar carrying a significantly larger bowl of ramen and said, "I was planning to add this item to the menu soon. Well, as soon as I decide on a name for it."

"Hey, we didn't order this, Teuchi-oji-san!" Naruto complained. "I already owe Hinata since she's paying, so don't make it worse!"

"Is that so?" Teuchi smirked. "Well, Naruto-kun, this is your first day back here since you left on that journey with Jiraiya-sama, so to celebrate your return, this bowl and the ones you ordered will be on the house. Anyway, as I was about to say, this is a new recipe I've been meaning to test for a while, but I haven't had a chance until now."

"And why is that?" Hinata asked, glancing at the bowl which was far too large for a normal person to eat by themselves...which had been the whole point of the ramen chef preparing it for them.

"It's a special recipe, meant for couples to share. The economy hasn't fully recovered from the invasion last year, so many young people don't have a chance to go to fancy restaurants. I wanted to do something to help those couples feel better about coming here on a date."

Hinata gasped, her face turning a darker shade of red, while Naruto's complaining only got worse. "What the heck is wrong with you, old man?! I told you, Hinata and I are just friends!" Naruto yelled. However, he was blushing almost as much as Hinata while he ran off at the mouth.

"I know, I know. Just think of it as sharing with a friend, then! It doesn't have to be a date if you don't want to call it one. But I really need to see what the two of you think about this recipe before I can start selling it." Teuchi's eyes lit up before continuing, "That's it! Your payment for me today will be to do me this favor. Yes, that will do nicely."

"What? But you just said it was on the house!"

"And it is. Naruto-kun, you're making yourself look bad in front of Hinata-san. I suppose if you'd like, I could make you clean the dishes as payment instead."

"No no!" Naruto waved his hands in surrender. He remembered the last time that had happened, and that particular incident had caused him a lot of pain from Ayame's ladle, which he was not willing to experience again. "We'll take it! Just go away!"

Teuchi laughed and disappeared back into the kitchen. For almost two minutes, Naruto and Hinata just sat in silence, not knowing how they were supposed to consume this extra-large bowl of "special" ramen when there was only a single pair of chopsticks to use. Well, Naruto didn't know how. Hinata did, and was blushing furiously at the thought of feeding Naruto, and having Naruto feed her.

"Damn that old man," Naruto spoke through gritted teeth. He would have slammed his fist against the bar, but that would have caused some of the ramen to spill, and wasting ramen was a mortal sin in Naruto's mind.

"Na-Naruto-kun," Hinata stammered, "if you're uncomfortable with this, then I...I don't mind paying like I said I would."

"No way, Hinata! I guess I'll just eat it all myself. I don't wanna force you to do something like that if you don't want to."

"Oh...okay." Naruto did not miss the disappointment in Hinata's voice as she spoke, and turned to look at her with his eyes widened by a tiny fraction.

"D-Don't tell me you actually...wanna eat this together?"

Hinata squirmed and almost fell off her stool, but kept her balance and managed to give Naruto a small nod. She took a few deep breaths before replying, "Teuchi-oji-san did say he wanted us to test this recipe together, a-and it would be such a waste, not to mention rude, to not do this for him. And, well, I...I don't mind sharing if it's with Naruto-kun."

"Yeah, you're right Hinata!" Naruto grinned at her before saying, "Let's do this!" He picked up the chopsticks and dipped them into the bowl, and was about to take the first bite of the shared meal when Hinata stopped him.

"Huh? What's the matter, Hinata?"

"U-Um...that isn't how we're supposed to eat this, Naruto-kun," Hinata told him.

"Huh? What am I doing wrong?" Rather than answer his question with words (because she knew her courage would fail her if she tried), Hinata took the chopsticks out of Naruto's hand and then, with her eyes closed and her cheeks stained crimson, lifted them towards his mouth.

Naruto was left feeling awkward; what was Hinata doing? Did she really want to feed him? He didn't know whether he should let her do this when a memory suddenly flashed through his mind. It took Naruto a few seconds to realize that it was the memory of when she gave him the ointment during the Chūnin Exams. Once he did, Naruto realized that he was only making this situation worse and leaned forward, opening his mouth for Hinata, whose hand was shaking. Naruto tasted the noodles and was left stunned by the intensity of the flavor. Ichiraku always had great ramen, but Teuchi-oji-san really outdid himself this time! This was by far the best ramen he'd ever had. He thought the only way it could be better is if Hinata had been the one who made it.

"Wow, that was amazing!" Naruto said. "Okay, Hinata, your turn!"

"Huh?! B-But, Na-Na-Naruto-kun..." Hinata stuttered, but before she could finish protesting Naruto had already taken one of the meat toppings and shoved it into her mouth. Hinata tried to swallow, but started choking and ran off to try to force it down. Naruto chased after her and patted her back hard enough to force her to cough up the offending topping and spit it onto the ground.

"I'm so sorry, Hinata!" Naruto shouted. "I should've waited 'til you were ready!" He braced himself, expecting Hinata to hit him for doing that to her, but the expected violent contact never came.

"It's okay, Naruto-kun," Hinata said kindly. "Just...be more gentle with me, please."

Naruto couldn't believe it. Hinata had fed him and let him feed her in return, and though he'd screwed up with the attempt, she'd already forgiven him and was willing to let him try again. He was starting to feel a special kind of happiness as Hinata stayed with him, a feeling he wasn't sure whether or not he'd felt before, and one he wasn't able to understand. He pushed his confusion regarding this special feeling out of his mind and walked back to the bar with Hinata, resolving to enjoy this time with her as much as he could.

The two teens kept taking turns feeding one another, laughing heartily at some of the other slight mishaps they had. When they finally finished, they both gave Teuchi a very strong thank you for the meal and bid him farewell.

As they walked off, Teuchi smiled to himself while his daughter Ayame walked up to retrieve the dishes. Ayame said, "We were never actually going to add that to the menu, Tō-chan."

Teuchi just laughed. "Naruto-kun does not need to know that."

x-x

Yuzuki waited patiently outside Tsunade's office on the top floor of the Hokage Tower while two Anbu stood guard, blocking her entrance. They informed her that the Hokage was currently engaged in an important meeting and she was required to wait until the meeting ended. She just sighed and leaned against the wall. From her perspective (the one of a time traveler sent to fix the future), nothing was more important than delivering the answer Tsunade demanded of her when she arrived last night.

Eventually, the door opened to reveal the person who preceded her, who looked like he was in a hurry to leave. The two Anbu informed her that she was now permitted to enter. Yuzuki sighed again, unsure of whether she should feel relief that now she could say what she was here to say, or fear that she would provoke the Fifth Hokage's infamous short temper.

"Don't worry about what happened just now, Yuzuki-san," the Fifth said, cutting her off before she could ask about the previous meeting and taking a bigger drink from her saké bottle than usual. "I'm glad you're here. Have you thought over my request?"

"I have," Yuzuki replied. She sat down in the empty chair across from Tsunade before adding, "But there are a few things I need to know before I accept. Would you allow me to ask you some questions?"

"By all means, ask away," Jiraiya, who was standing next to the window, answered before Tsunade could speak up.

"Thank you, Jiraiya-sama." Tsunade glowered at Jiraiya as Yuzuki said this, but her ex-teammate was unfazed. She grumbled incessantly under her breath as Shizune walked over and picked up a clipboard and pen to begin writing down notes on the meeting as it progressed.

"So, what are your concerns?" the Fifth asked.

"My first one is directed towards Jiraiya-sama. I need to know why you stopped training Naruto-kun early."

"Actually, I'm a little curious about that myself," Tsunade interjected before Jiraiya could ask how Yuzuki knew Naruto's training was incomplete. The Toad Sage just sighed.

"To be honest, I hadn't planned on returning here for at least another two years until you showed up at that clearing and assisted me, Yuzuki-san," Jiraiya explained. "One of the two purposes of the trip was to teach Naruto how to control the Kyūbi's chakra. There are two reasons why I felt this had to occur outside the village. First, if we were constantly moving, the risk of Akatsuki locating Naruto and making an attempt to capture him would be reduced greatly. Second and more importantly, it was so the training could occur without risking the lives of anyone else in Konoha should there be an incident where Naruto loses control, like the one you intervened in. Any incidents like that would put both Naruto's life and the lives of all those surrounding him in grave danger. But while I would have to rely on my knowledge of fūinjutsu to force the Kyūbi's chakra to recede, you were able to bring him back to his senses just by pleading with him. I thought long and hard on what happened that night and after weighing the benefits against the risks, decided to abandon my original decision and came to believe that it might be better if his training were to continue under your supervision."

"M-My supervision? Over his training? But you're one of the Sannin! Naruto-kun needs your knowledge more than he does mine!" Yuzuki protested.

"Heh. While I do take some level of pride in that title, at the end of the day it's nothing more than a title. Real skill comes from the amount of hard work you're willing to put into your training. Eventually, the new generation will surpass the old, and Naruto has already shown the potential to surpass me. But the problem I face here is wondering whether there is anything I can still teach him. Aside from fūinjutsu, that is, which it is unlikely he'll have the patience to study at this point in his life. That's the other reason why I took Naruto out of the village: I wanted him to grow as a person while he grew as a shinobi. I needed him to mature. Otherwise he'll never have a chance of achieving his dream to become Hokage.

"When he wasn't being trained to control the Kyūbi's chakra, I had him focused on improving most of his basic skills and work ethics. Frankly, it's a miracle he was able to become a ninja given how hard he struggled in the Academy. But it's also what drew me to him in the first place. Even though he was the dead last in his class, he has the one quality that is needed above all others in a shinobi, and that's guts.

"Now, as far as ninjutsu goes, most of my techniques are incompatible with Naruto. I taught him my Transparency Jutsu and helped him gain a greater mastery over the Rasengan and the Shadow Clone Jutsu, along with collaboration techniques with our toad summons. However, while he has shown a fair improvement in most areas, his taijutsu and genjutsu are still lacking, and that's where you come in. The Hyūga Clan are renowned for their mastery of taijutsu and the Byakugan gives you an almost unmatched ability to detect and dispel genjutsu, so you would be an ideal sensei for the kid in those areas. Actually, you would probably be a better sensei than me for teaching him to defend against genjutsu, since that is still my own weak point. As for expanding his repertoire of ninjutsu, me and Tsunade have already discussed this with Kakashi-san. Naruto's old teacher is ready to take his role seriously now and help him learn and create more ninjutsu. With the two of you there for Naruto, he'll be fine," Jiraiya assured Yuzuki. He then took a deep breath before adding, "As much as I would like to stay and help you finish his training like I should, there are other matters which are more pressing at this time. Matters which deal with Naruto's safety, specifically from those who seek to take the Kyūbi's power for themselves."

"You have new intelligence on the Akatsuki?" Tsunade asked, pushing Yuzuki out of the conversation.

"My spy network has indicated possible Akatsuki activity near Kusagakure no Sato (the Village Hidden in the Grass)," Jiraiya replied. "If I get there quickly enough, I might also be able to find some vital information regarding the current whereabouts of Orochimaru." Yuzuki paid special attention to that last statement from Jiraiya. Any information on Orochimaru could potentially lead to locating Sasuke as well. Naruto was still her greatest priority, but retrieving his wayward friend ranked high on the list of tasks she needed to finish while she remained a separate entity from her younger self.

"I take it you haven't told Naruto or Sakura about this yet?"

"Of course not. They wouldn't stop pestering us for a mission to recover him if I had, and as much as they've grown, I wouldn't put it past them to try and sneak out of the village to go after their former teammate on their own." The Toad Sage then turned back to Yuzuki and asked, "Does this answer your first question?"

"I suppose," Yuzuki said. "Now, for my second question..." she went on, but paused to make sure she still had Tsunade's permission to speak, and sighed when the Slug Princess gave her a nod. "You have explained why you wish for me to take over with training Naruto-kun. But I need you to clarify why it needs to be me, and why it cannot be someone else."

Shizune sighed, knowing it was her turn to speak. "I'm sure you've heard about how Sasuke deserted Konoha a little over a year ago to seek revenge against his brother, correct?" Yuzuki nodded, so Shizune went on: "Naruto-kun faces an even greater danger of giving into his own hatred. The boy tries to hide it from everyone, but I know it's there. Honestly, I'm surprised he hasn't already lashed out at the village after being mistreated for so long. He needs to have a stable relationship in his life. He needs someone with the capacity to show him the kindness and affection he was wrongly denied due to his burden. This will make it considerably less likely for him to give in to his anger and turn against us."

"I see." Yuzuki was ashamed of herself for not giving that point the consideration it deserved. She had forced herself to believe that becoming too involved in Naruto's life would put the entire future in jeopardy. But Shizune was reminding her of just how bad things had been in his childhood, and with everything she was learning about how her presence had already affected this timeline, she reasoned that if she became absent now, the odds of Naruto surrendering to hate would only increase. Perhaps it was safer if she did adopt Naruto, as the Hokage was asking.

"I'll do it," Yuzuki finally said, "but on two conditions."

"What would those be?" Tsunade asked.

"First, there is no way I could ever replace the mother Naruto-kun never had a chance to have. We must keep my new status as his legal guardian between us, never to leave this office." The others all looked at each other in silence, contemplating this, before nodding.

"We can accommodate that with ease," Tsunade said. "What's the second?"

"If Naruto-kun does not want me to move in with him, I will respect his wishes and will not force the issue on him."

"I thought we covered last night that it isn't in his best interests to refuse?" Jiraiya said.

"I thought you said a few minutes ago that you wanted Naruto-kun to grow as a person?" Yuzuki retorted. "How can Naruto-kun do that if he is not trusted to make important decisions on his own? He is more capable than you seem willing to accept."

"Fair enough," Tsunade said before Jiraiya could dispute Yuzuki's position. "It isn't all that likely that he'll refuse anyway. From what my sources tell me, the little brat really cares about you."

Yuzuki blushed. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

"Alright then!" Shizune exclaimed. "Now it's time for you to sign these papers and make this official." Yuzuki did as Shizune instructed and took the papers and pen given to her, but hesitated for a moment.

 _'If I sign these papers, I will be taking full responsibility for Naruto-kun even if he does not want me to take care of him. Do I have the right to do this?'_ she wondered. After all, the lack of action she had taken in his life made her partly responsible for the sadness and anger he felt, as well as for his death. But she felt a warm hand gently rest on her shoulder, and she looked up to see that her Naruto was giving her a look of reassurance, telling her with only his true smile that he would still be there for her no matter what she did. Yuzuki sighed and smiled to herself, but didn't quite manage to sign the documents yet.

"There is one other thing," Yuzuki said. "You see, I am not currently registered as a ninja of Konoha, and I will need to register, if you will allow it. If I am no longer able to depend on financial support from the Hyūga Clan, I will require an alternate source of income to provide for both Naruto-kun and myself."

"Very well," Tsunade replied. "You'll have to perform a few tests to verify your abilities, and provided you pass these tests you'll start out at the lowest rank of genin. From there, I'll have you assigned to patrol the village walls each morning and afternoon. The job will be rather dull most of the time, but the pay is decent, and it will allow you and Naruto time to see each other before he is assigned his own missions."

Yuzuki thanked Tsunade for her kindness and finally signed the documents and handed them over. She then bowed and left. The hardest part of her day was just beginning...

x-x

Jiraiya spent the next few minutes just gazing out the window, reflecting on his failures with Naruto. He was about to use the window to make an exit when everyone present felt a darker presence arrive without any invitation or summon.

That presence went by the name of Danzō Shimura. Village elder, and former member of the Konoha Council who lost his seat in the aftermath of the Uchiha Massacre.

"What are you doing here, Danzō?" Jiraiya said, his voice cold.

"Forgive my intrusion, Jiraiya-sama, Tsunade-hime, but I have acquired some rather interesting information regarding the mysterious Hyūga woman who was just in here," the partially mummified elder replied.

"It's rather convenient that you decided to wait until after she left to share your findings," Tsunade remarked. "Make it quick. There's no telling how I'll react to the prick in my office while I'm in a drunken state."

"Don't you think that behavior is uncalled for, Tsunade-hime? Hiruzen understood perfectly well that though my methods are questionable, every action I take is done with the best interests of Konoha in mind."

"Are the many problems your methods have caused us considered to be in the best interests of the village?" Shizune cut in, taking a stern tone with the elder.

"You may pin the blame for a great many things on me, Shizune-san, but I cannot be held accountable for basic human ignorance. The masses do not desire to listen unless they are made to see reason. They must be forced into obedience. Order must be installed in order for peace to flourish."

"Those are the words of a tyrant," Jiraiya observed. "That is the reason why you'll never become Hokage, Danzō. The Will of Fire cannot survive if freedom is stamped out. Your rule would deny everyone their most basic rights."

"Look out the window, Jiraiya-sama. Do you think the people of this village are ready for that freedom? But do not concern yourself with giving me your usual answer at this time. We have wandered away from my reason for visiting. What you should concern yourself with is the Hyūga woman."

Tsunade, Shizune and Jiraiya all glared intensely at Danzō, united in their defense of Yuzuki. "If I even think you're about to make a move against her, I'll do what Sarutobi-sensei should have done and put you six feet under myself," the Slug Princess growled.

"You may have to get in line, Tsunade, since I owe her a life debt," the Toad Sage pointed out.

Unsurprisingly to any of them, Danzō responded to their threats with a look of amusement. "Once again, two of the Legendary Sannin have allowed their personal feelings to cloud their judgment."

"You can either get to the point, Danzō, or you can get the hell out of my office," Tsunade said through clenched teeth.

Danzō shrugged and tossed a scroll at Tsunade, which landed on her desk. "It would be in your best interests to open that scroll, Tsunade-hime. That is, unless the deceit of your new Hyūga friend is of no concern to you." Tsunade begrudgingly opened the scroll, and her eyes widened when she skimmed over the contents.

"What the hell is this?"

Jiraiya also looked at the scroll and raised an eyebrow at its contents. "This can't be right, Tsunade."

"Well, apparently if Danzō's information is accurate, then there are absolutely no records in the village that prove Yuzuki exists. Neither the hospital nor the Hyūga Clan have any records of her birth, and we know the Hyūga would never allow one of their own to be born outside of the village."

"What?" Shizune cried as she dropped the paperwork which pertained to Yuzuki's adoption of Naruto.

"By shirking your duties as Hokage, you have allowed a potential spy to acquire custodianship over our jinchūriki," Danzō needlessly pointed out. "Should word of this get out, the best-case scenario you could hope for is a complete political nightmare. The shinobi of this village, as well as the Fire Daimyō would lose their trust in you, Tsunade-hime. They will question your ability to lead them. And some of them would even seek to do harm to, as they still prefer to call him, the demon brat."

Jiraiya the Toad Sage considered himself a man who was not quick to anger. Having lasted as long as he did in this life, he had excellent control over his emotions and had easily kept his calm the entire time Danzō remained in this office. However, the paraphrasing from the Shinobi of Darkness which insinuated that Naruto and the monster fox were one and the same entity caused his calm to break. Without any warning, Jiraiya found himself in front of Danzō, gripping the elder's throat. "Call Naruto a demon one more time and you won't want to find out what'll happen next," he threatened.

Danzō just smiled in spite of the choke hold Jiraiya had him in. "It would be unwise of you to follow through with your petty threat, Jiraiya. I still have the protection of the Fire Daimyō. As things currently stand, you cannot rid yourself of me without severe repercussions to Konoha."

"Put him down, Jiraiya," Tsunade ordered. Jiraiya hesitantly obeyed, but kept one arm tensed, ready to draw a kunai the moment he felt the need to strike. Returning her attention to Danzō, the Slug Princess said, "I will look into this matter and discover whether your accusations hold any truth to them, Danzō, but let's make one thing clear. Your Root ninja are not to get involved. Should it ever cross my mind that you pose a threat to the well-being of either Yuzuki or Naruto, I will act decisively against you. _I_ am the Hokage, Danzō; in this village, _my_ word is law."

"Such foolishness. Your empty threats don't impress me, Tsunade," Danzō said in a cool, challenging tone.

"Even the Buddha loses patience when you insult him a third time," Tsunade shot back.

Danzō shook his head. "The problem with Yuzuki goes far beyond the probability that she is an enemy spy. You know as well as I do that there are certain truths about the jinchūriki that must be kept secret from him. Even if Yuzuki proves to be loyal to Konoha, should you allow Naruto to become attached to her he will eventually discover these forbidden truths, and there is no guarantee that he will remain loyal to this village after such an enlightenment."

Realization started to dawn on Tsunade. The realization that Danzō had already interfered far more in Naruto's life than he had any right. "What are you saying?"

"The ability to control or deny the information he receives is our greatest weapon in keeping the Kyūbi container subservient to the village. Even if it seems that his loyalty is secured, he must remain cut off from all knowledge and emotion except that which we permit him to have."

"Jinchūriki derive their power from their emotions," Jiraiya countered. "Your idea of conditioning Naruto would take away his ability to access the Kyūbi's power. Tell me, Danzō, what good does it to do to have a weapon that's deliberately kept dull?"

"I'd been wondering," Tsunade interrupted the argument and crushed the scroll in her hand, "why it was that when Sarutobi-sensei ordered everyone in the village to forget the events of the Tenth of October, fourteen years ago, that they continued to passively disobey that order. Why Naruto was still turned away from stores and food stands, why other children would refuse to play with him. You _encouraged_ the villagers to listen to their fear over the word of their Hokage."

"Let us just say that while Hiruzen made a valiant effort to protect Naruto and made examples of all who broke his law, he could not completely ensure the boy's safety," Danzō said cryptically.

"You..." Shizune accused, her voice trembling in anger as she recalled reading about a major, yet thankfully isolated incident in Naruto's medical history. "Those weren't actually civilians that attacked Naruto-kun in the wake of the Uchiha Massacre and hurt him so badly, Inoichi-san had to erase his memory of that night. Those were _your_ mindless slaves that took advantage of the bloodbath. And it was also you who arranged for the Uchiha to be killed off, wasn't it?"

Danzō shrugged. "Do not run off at the mouth without first acquiring _proof_ of your accusations, girl. Your emotions deprive you of the ability to think logically and act for the greater good. This is why Tsunade's tenure as Hokage will end in disaster for Konoha. You have not convinced me that you are willing to do what is necessary to protect the village."

That did it. Tsunade had heard more than enough. Dealing with the ruckus the Daimyō would stir up when he learned of Danzō's death, assuming the elder's claims that he was protected by the Daimyō were true, were not as important as making sure the problem within her office was dealt with. Tsunade rushed over to the Shinobi of Darkness and attempted to land one of her famous chakra-boosted punches, intending to kill him for his treason in one blow. However, before her attack landed, Danzō vanished in a Wind Style: Body Flicker, knocking several pictures off the walls and scattering much of the backlog of paperwork across the floor, and causing Tsunade to punch through the wall instead.

No longer having a target for her infamous anger, Tsunade did the only thing she knew how to do to vent. She picked up her desk and tossed it through the window, causing several people on street level to scream and scatter away from the falling debris. Then she started barking out orders.

 **"Anbu! Locate Danzō immediately and bring him to Torture and Interrogation! Shizune-chan, double-check and triple-check all our medical records and be absolutely sure there's nothing there on Yuzuki. Jiraiya, tap your spy network to uncover everything you can find on her, and while you're at it, find out everything you can about Danzō's activities in case we need to confront the Daimyō over this. We need to get as much information about this situation as possible, and we need to get it now!"**

As an afterthought, she added, **"And would someone tell Izumo and Kotetsu** **to get my desk?"**

x-x

Blissfully unaware of the events transpiring in the center of the village, Naruto and Hinata found themselves getting lost in each other's company. They ended up spending the entire day hanging out together, starting with their lunch session at Ichiraku's where Naruto, to his pleasant surprise learned that Hinata was capable of eating more bowls of ramen than him. Even better, Teuchi let them have the meal for free to celebrate Naruto's return. After finishing their meals, they walked to a nearby training ground where they spent hours discussing almost everything that happened over the past ten months and even longer training together. Before either of them had realized it, the sun was starting to set. Hinata was about to walk back to the Hyūga estate alone, but Naruto insisted on walking her back.

"Hey, Hinata?" Naruto said.

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto sheepishly scratched the back of his head as he asked, "I can't believe I forgot about this until now, but I was wondering if you knew anyone called Yuzuki?"

Hinata gave Naruto a look of surprise at his question. "Until today, I didn't. But I met someone with that name earlier; she was the one who told me to come see you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto grabbed her shoulders, gently, but with earnest. "Do you know where she went? When did you see her?"

Hinata squeaked from the sudden contact and her face turned red. "Sh-she was in the m-market heading towards the Hokage Tower...b-but that was s-several hours ago," she stammered.

Naruto realized that his actions had shocked Hinata and let go of her, much to her relief. "Sorry Hinata, it's just that she was really nice to me when I met her, but when we got back she went off with some Anbu and I think that's my fault."

Hinata smiled and, in an uncharacteristically bold move, placed her hand under Naruto's chin and gently lifted it so he would look her in the eyes. "Listen to me, Naruto-kun. That was not your doing, and I am sure Yuzuki-san would say the same thing. She spoke very highly of you when we met in the markets earlier before she suggested that I spend time with you. Tell me, Naruto-kun, would she have done that if she thought you did something wrong?" Naruto didn't respond for a while, but looked at Hinata in awe. He didn't know where this burst of confidence came from, but he liked it a lot. He wanted to see more of it.

"Yeah, you're right!" Naruto stood up straight and smiled at Hinata before saying, "Thanks, Hinata! I was feeling a little depressed, but you always know how to cheer me up again!" Naruto started running away, but then stopped, ran back to Hinata and placed his hands on her shoulders again, and added, "I really had fun today, Hinata. More fun than I've had in a long time. Thank you for all of this."

Hinata blushed and twiddled her fingers. "It was nothing, Naruto-kun. Spending time with you was fun for me, as well."

Naruto's grin grew bigger and more infectious. "Then let's do it again, okay?"

Hinata looked back up and her eyes widened from seeing the raw happiness... _true_ happiness on Naruto's face. Feeling like she would be blinded by his radiance if she saw it for much longer, she closed her eyes, but her smile was almost as big as his as she squealed in joy. "Yes!"

x-x

Naruto spent the next few hours searching the village for Yuzuki, to no avail. Eventually, he was forced to give up his search for his newest friend and return to his apartment, having worn himself out too much to continue.

"I guess I missed her," he said to himself in a dejected tone. He had been really looking forward to seeing her. He also felt he needed to apologize for what happened when they got back to the village last night, even if it really wasn't his fault the Anbu had them separated. Sighing, Naruto fumbled with the lock to his front door for a few seconds before it opened. Naruto was about to announce that he was home, knowing no one would answer, when he saw that all of the lights were on.

Which meant there was an intruder.

Naruto immediately flicked his right arm to reveal a kunai he kept concealed under his sleeve and slowly approached his kitchen, careful not to make any sounds as he searched for the intruder. Despite taking every precaution as Jiraiya tried to teach him, he was caught off-guard when the intruder appeared from behind him. His sight went pink as he was pulled into her arms, his kunai falling out of his hand as his head inadvertently landed on her breasts.

"Agh!" Naruto screamed, struggling to break free. The intruder giggled in response, and Naruto only then realized who she was.

"Welcome home, Naruto-kun," Yuzuki said as she let him go. "I did say I would come see you today, right?"

"Well, yeah, but I didn't think you were gonna break into my apartment and scare me half to death, y'know!" a flustered Naruto shouted.

"I didn't break in. You left your spare key in the mailbox," Yuzuki pointed out, showing him the key.

"Wait, how did you know where I kept that?" Yuzuki shook her head in exasperation and placed a finger between her eyes, and a second later Naruto smacked himself in the face, realizing how stupid his question was. "Oh, right, Byakugan. See-through-everything and all that. Hehe, my bad!"

"Well, I am sorry for scaring you like that."

"It's okay. I was actually looking for you for a while," Naruto admitted, scratching the back of his head. "Anyway, what are you doing here so late, Yuzuki? Don't you have somewhere else to stay?"

"Let's get to that later. For now, I thought it would be nice to pick up some groceries and make you dinner. You must be tired, right Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah, and I'm starving too!" Naruto sat down at the table and continued, "By the way, I ran into Hinata earlier and she said you told her to come see me. Is that true?"

Yuzuki nodded. "I passed by her at the shopping district earlier. You should have seen the way she lit up when I told her what you told me, Naruto-kun. She really did miss you while you were gone." Naruto didn't respond, but instead looked up at the ceiling. Yuzuki was about to ask him if something was wrong, but she noticed that for just a few moments, he looked completely at peace.

"She's a wonderful friend, y'know?" Naruto finally said after what seemed like forever, but was only a few seconds. "We really had a great time today!"

"I'm so glad," Yuzuki replied before turning back towards the stove and fetching a few dishes of the meal she prepared for Naruto. "I hope you don't mind that there isn't any ramen tonight, Naruto-kun. Jiraiya-sama told me about your eating habits before we returned here, and I wanted to try and change them a little. So I decided to make you some smoked salmon, along with rice and a vegetable stew. I know it's not what you usually like to eat, but all the ramen you've been eating really isn't good for you, Naruto-kun."

"That's what everyone keeps telling me," Naruto grumbled, but Yuzuki did not miss the look of sadness in his eyes as he complained. "But I can't really cook that much else, and besides, it's not like I've always been able to buy groceries whenever I needed them." Yuzuki didn't have to ask him why he was often thrown out of stores as a child. She didn't know how much good it would do, but she would take some time later to have a little discussion with the managers of each and every store in Konoha that ever denied Naruto service. If nothing else, it would at least continue to show Naruto how much she cared about him.

"Let's not worry about that right now," Yuzuki told him as she sat his plate down in front of him. "Just help yourself to as much as you can eat."

"Thanks, Yuzuki! _Itadakimasu!"_ he said as he broke his chopsticks and picked up the first piece of salmon to place in his mouth. As he tasted it, he felt a familiar warmth flow through him. This meal, somehow it reminded him of the time Hinata made those rice balls that were in the shape of his head. Yuzuki was a really, _really_ good cook and he had to be the luckiest person alive to have her here cooking for him.

For the next two hours, Naruto and Yuzuki sat at that table, sharing the most ridiculous stories their minds could conjure and laughing at them. As the evening progressed, Naruto slowly felt some of the walls he'd built up over his life of almost complete solitude start to weaken. While he had shared many meals with his friends since becoming a ninja, and with Jiraiya during the time he was away, this was the first time he had ever shared a meal with someone else inside his apartment. And it was also the first time that he didn't feel lonely here.

After they finished eating, Yuzuki placed the dishes into the sink and refrigerated the leftovers so they could be reheated tomorrow. Then she went back to the table, but instead of sitting back down, walked over to Naruto and knelt beside him, leaving him confused.

"What's the matter, Yuzuki?" Naruto asked.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight, Naruto-kun?"

"Of course I did? Why would you ask that?"

And now it was the time for Yuzuki to reveal the reason she was here. "Would you like it if I cooked for you every night from now on?"

The feeling of confusion Naruto had was replaced with nervousness and fear. There were just too many foreign feelings flowing through him right now and he couldn't help but be scared. "W-What do you mean, Yuzuki?"

Yuzuki hesitantly took Naruto's hands in hers and looked him in the eyes, trying to tell him that she was also a little scared of what she was about to say. "If you want me to stay, Naruto-kun, I will never leave you. I will do my best to let you have this feeling every morning and every night. You won't have to come home to an empty apartment anymore and won't have to rely on ramen cups to survive. I am willing to stay here and take care of you from now on, that is...if you are willing to let me live with you."

The question sent Naruto spiraling into an unknown world. Hardly anyone had ever visited him at his apartment, and no one had ever stayed the night. Yet here was this kind woman kneeling down in front of him, asking if he wanted her to stay. She was offering almost everything he ever wanted: someone to take care of him, someone to make sure he wouldn't be alone anymore. But what did it even mean to not have to feel lonely? Was it even possible that Yuzuki truly did want to live with him despite what he was? There were still people in Konoha who had not let go of their fear of/hate towards him despite all he'd done to prove himself. And for his entire life, those people had made it impossible for him to let someone past his walls.

Naruto was truly scared. Scared of allowing someone to be this close to him, of giving her the chance to break him completely. Not wanting to face this fear, he scrambled out of his chair and ran towards his room, slamming the door behind him. Yuzuki ran after him, but the door was locked and while she could have easily broken it down, she did not want to force herself on him like that.

"Naruto-kun?" Yuzuki pleaded with him, fighting to hold back the tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun! I didn't mean to frighten you! I know what you've been through and I know you don't trust me! You have every right not to! If you don't want me to stay, I'll leave but please..." her voice trailed off as she fell to the floor and buried her face in her hands. She didn't think she would have the strength to carry on if the living Naruto rejected her now.

"Please don't hate me..." she whispered, almost too softly for Naruto to hear. "Please don't push me away..."

x-x

Dark Naruto had remained out of Yuzuki's sight during the entire charade, but enough was enough. The weaker persona of his living self was still in control, and that needed to change. Up until now, he had been willing to give Yuzuki a chance with her methods. This display of cowardice from the living Naruto was proof in his mind that the patient approach which Yuzuki preferred would not work.

He couldn't go directly into his younger self's mindscape to set things straight...but he could use the link between them to awaken his counterpart's true persona.

 _ **'This is gonna hurt, kid, but you'll realize soon that it's for your own good.'**_

x-x

Naruto screamed, but his voice was nowhere to be found. He gripped his head as it exploded in pain and he was yanked violently into his mindscape, and saw that he was back in that nightmare world he'd seen this morning, just before waking up. The wasteland littered with bodies and wooden spikes, illuminated by the blood moon. Naruto stumbled backward in several different directions, almost tripping over some of the deadly debris before regaining some control over his movements.

"Wha-what is this?" he stammered uncharacteristically. "Why won't this stop?"

 **"These images can only be an illusion,"** an all too familiar and unwelcome voice answered. **"But the strength of this illusion is beyond the capabilities of even the Uchiha."** Naruto turned around and sure enough, the Kyūbi no Yōko was now standing behind him, apparently freed from its cage.

"What the hell is going on? How did you get free?" Naruto yelled, his rage towards the fox barely disguising his fear.

 **"Do not yell at me, kid,"** the Kyūbi snapped at its jailor. **"If I was actually free, we would not be having this conversation."**

Naruto forgot his anger towards the source of his pain long enough to look up at the towering figure of the monster fox, shock written clearly across his face as he and it locked eyes. "So you're not the one who's doing this?"

 **"No. I sense another malicious presence here...one whose hate is stronger than mine."**

 _'Something with more hate than the fox?'_ Naruto shuddered at the thought as he also started to feel the vile presence. The monster fox had always terrified him, but to think that there was something or someone out there that harbored even more hate than the Kyūbi? He needed to get out of here now, before it consumed him.

Naturally, the moment his thoughts made it that far it was already too late. The presence appeared in front of him. It took the form of a man about eighteen centimeters taller than Naruto, donning a white mask and clothed in purple pants and a matching sleeveless, high-collared mantle. The mask bore the same pattern as the one reflected off the moon in this nightmare world, and the man behind that mask wielded a gunbai in his right hand.

 _ **"Don't be afraid, Naruto,"**_ the presence spoke. Naruto tried backing away from the presence, but it kept moving closer, its pace matching his.

"Whoever you are, you're really creeping me out! Get the hell out of my head!" Naruto demanded.

 **"If I were you, I would listen to the kid,"** the Kyūbi added with a snarl, succeeding where Naruto failed to be more forceful in its tone.

The presence simply raised his free hand and aimed it at Kurama. _**"And if I were you, I would learn when to shut up,"**_ he shot back, conjuring a massive muzzle over the fox's snout. The fox almost crashed to the ground, but dispelled the muzzle before being brought down, and snarled at the presence while adopting a more threatening poise.

 **"For a disgusting human spirit who does not possess those accursed eyes, your prowess in manifesting illusions is somewhat decent. Not that you could ever conjure one strong enough to affect me."** This time, the presence ignored Kurama's unfriendly banter and walked past it, not sparing the bijū a second glance as he advanced towards Naruto.

 _ **"Tell me, Naruto,"**_ he said, _**"do you seek your own destruction?"**_

Naruto was still shaking in fear, but the question from this presence piqued his curiosity just enough to let him make a coherent response. "What are you talking about?"

 _ **"Take a good look around. Tell me what you see."**_

Naruto was unable to disobey the presence's command. No longer in control of his own movements inside his own mindscape, he forcibly turned only to see a far too familiar image. The person he saw almost looked like...himself, but a little older and taller? But how? Before he could try to ask any questions, the scene turned violent. The alleged image of his older self was stabbed in the back by another entity, one engulfed in a sinister black. Moments later, the image changed to show the silhouette of a young woman, holding his older self's head in her lap and crying as he slipped into eternal rest.

"This can't be real," Naruto protested. "This is just a nightmare."

 _ **"You're half right,"**_ the presence corrected him. _**"This is a nightmare, but it did happen once, and it will happen again.**_ _ **The worst nightmares are always the ones that become real.**_ _ **This is your future, Naruto."**_

"That's a lie! I won't die like that! I'll become Hokage and get everyone to acknowledge that I'll protect them! Believe it!"

The presence frowned behind its mask and shook his head. _**"I once believed like you do,**_ _ **y'know**_ _ **. I once had the same naïve mentality. It only led to my death, just as it will lead to yours. Do you wish to know why?"**_

Kurama only now realized, through the intruder's verbal tic, what he really was and what he was trying to accomplish with this invasion into its jailer's mind. There was no time for it to reprimand itself over this failure to see through the presence's intent, however. **"Do not listen to this** **evil** **presence,** **Naruto!"** it shouted. The fox's use of his name, which had never happened before, snapped Naruto out of his trance and won his attention.

"Why shouldn't I, fox? What's going on here? Who is he?"

 **"This man is the manifestation of every negative emotion you suppressed during your life,"** the Kyūbi explained. **"He is your inner darkness. He is trying to deceive you into following him, into letting him take control over your body! You may refuse to believe in fate, Naruto, but believe me when I say that if you let this presence subdue and corrupt you, he will send the entire world to its worst possible fate!"**

The presence howled out a deranged laugh. **_"Don't tell me the monster fox finally grew a conscience!"_** he roared. **_"Why do you care what happens to him? You_ _'re still just waiting for a chance to kill him yourself."_**

 **"Do not test the might of the strongest bijū. You only exist on borrowed power, and it will not be enough to stop me from suppressing you,"** the Kyūbi declared, clasping its paws together to initiate a sealing technique.

 _ **"Know your place, fox,"**_ the presence said. Then he channeled chakra into his left hand and used a Rasengan to propel himself into the air, appearing directly in front of Kurama's face. _**"Adamantine Sealing Chains,"**_ he whispered, and in an instant, dozens of golden chains shot out from that hand, encircling the Kyūbi and completely restraining its movements. With a yank on the chains, the presence slammed Kurama into the ground, leaving it helpless.

 _ **"Now get out."**_ The presence swung his gunbai with his right arm and slammed it into Kurama, impacting the chakra construct with enough force to send it skidding across the ground and finally force it to vanish from the mindscape.

 _ **"That might cost me later,"**_ the presence said to himself, _**"but it had to be done. Kurama should be restrained long enough for me to do what's needed** **here** **."**_ Finally, he turned around to face a Naruto who was shaking violently, fearing for his life after witnessing the presence completely manhandle the fox like it was just a giant-sized stuffed animal.

 _ **"Where were we?"**_ he mused. _**"That's right, I was about to tell you why you're go** **nna** **die in the future if you don't** **give up your pathetic dream."**_ The presence lifted his left hand up to take off his mask, and when he did, his entire appearance changed. Now Naruto was left to face none other than...

"Me?"

The presence, revealed to be another Naruto but with red eyes and black sclerae, smirked at his counterpart's shock. _**"The monster fox was partially right about what I am,"**_ he explained, his voice changing to a darker, lower pitch of Naruto's normal voice. _**"I am your dark persona, the manifestation of your suppressed emotions. But** **what the fox** **neglected to mention** **is** **that you aren't only suppressing negative emotions such as** **hate and resentment** **. If that was the case, you'd have every right to fear me, y'know. But I'm only here to help you."**_

Naruto's first response was to reject any offer made by his other half. He felt that for once, the Kyūbi was right; this other persona of him was too wicked. "Help me? Help me?! How is showing me all that fake crap about me dying gonna help me?"

 _ **"You naïve fool!"**_ Dark Naruto shouted, and punched his light side in the face, knocking him to the ground. _**"That vision wasn't an illusion, Naruto! It's an actual memory of what will happen! All I want is to stop that from happening!** **But you're keeping me from doing so!"**_

"Lies! All lies!" Naruto shouted back, landing a punch on his dark half. "I told you, I'm not gonna stop until I become Hokage and—"

 _ **"You will NEVER become Hokage!"**_ For once, the howling rage and agony of his dark side rendered Naruto utterly speechless. _**"** **We both know the only reason you ever wanted that title in the first place was so everyone would acknowledge you. But let me tell you something, Naruto. You don't become Hokage to be acknowledged by everyone. The one who is acknowledged by everyone becomes the Hokage. But it doesn't matter either way for you, because the cost of that acknowledgment is too high.** **You lose everything, and the whole world suffers for it.** **"**_

Naruto couldn't explain why, but he was starting to feel terrible about himself. His dark half sounded like someone who was thoroughly disillusioned of his ideals. And the Kyūbi said his dark half represented all of his suppressed feelings, so did that mean that he was not truly confident in his own dream? And why did it look like his dark half was in pain?

 _ **"Looks like it's finally starting to sink in,"**_ Dark Naruto observed after watching several key emotions flash through his counterpart's eyes. _**"But I think you need another visual cue, y'know? I think you need to see the true cost of your ideals."**_ The dark persona lifted the gunbai to point to his right. Naruto turned, and saw the silhouette of that young woman reappear. While Naruto still could not see who she was, this time he could hear her tear-stricken voice as she cried out.

 _"For once in your life, you need to say that it's not fair. You have always been like this, Naruto-kun, always putting everyone else above yourself. That's why everyone admires you, Naruto-kun...but it isn't admirable to keep doing it, not now! Just for once, say you want to live because you deserve it! It's your right!"_

 _"I'll stop crying when you decide to live, damn it!...Please live, Naruto-kun! Live for me, live for your friends, but live for yourself too! You can't die, not now! I need you to live! I love you too much to let you die!"_

The despair in the woman's voice sent Naruto stammering backwards, until he tripped over a rock and fell on his back. Her words in that memory, as his dark side claimed it was awakened a multitude of emotions inside him, the strongest being deep regret.

"Wha-what is this? Why...why do I feel so terrible?"

 _ **"It's because you're starting to realize the truth,"**_ Dark Naruto answered with a sad smile. _**"Your quest to gain the acknowledgment of your village isn't worth sacrificing the happiness of certain others. At the time you died, you thought you** **had accepted** **your death** **, but if that was true,** **we** **wouldn't be here** **to have this conversation** **. Your inability to recognize this woman's feelings until the moment you died sent her into a great despair that's just as strong as the one you feel every night you spend alone. And** **after you died and she was left broken,** **the rest of the world soon fell into chaos."**_ Naruto's horrible feeling only grew stronger as his dark half continued speaking. He wasn't able to find any words that could describe this feeling; he just knew it was something no one should ever have to feel.

"Who...who is she?" Naruto struggled to ask after several painfully long moments.

 _ **"You're not ready to know that yet."**_ Dark Naruto offered his hand for his light side to take and said, _**"Join me, Naruto.** **If you s** **top trying to hold me back, we can stop this from ever happening. We'll create a new world together, where no one has to suffer like this, and where you'll finally have everything your heart truly desires."**_

The words were too tempting. Naruto knew he shouldn't trust his dark half, but at this point he was desperate to find a solution to the maddening loneliness he'd suffered his whole life. He needed, with every fiber of his being, to find that one woman who was able and willing to give him the love he was starving for since the night he was born.

"Will I find her?" he asked, his voice shaky. "Will I be able to protect her this time?"

 _ **"Only if you don't try to be a hero this time around,"**_ his dark half answered. _**"Take my word for it; heroes always** **end up with nothing** **in the end."**_

In that moment, his seduction was complete. Naruto felt he had no choice but to listen to these promises and accept the aid of his inner darkness.

But then, why was he still trembling as he reached out to take his other self's hand?

x-x

On the other side of the door, Yuzuki was sniffling, losing the battle to hold back the pain from this rejection. She pushed herself to her feet and turned to leave.

"I-I'll just come back tomorrow, then," she struggled to say. "I understand if you don't want me to live here, Naruto-kun, but I hope you won't mind if I keep checking in on you."

There was no reply. Of course there wouldn't be. Naruto had already closed himself off to the whole world and she could not bring him out of the pain she had unwittingly caused him by offering him a way to not have to feel the pain of loneliness anymore. Yuzuki sighed and walked towards the front door, hoping she would at least be able to keep in her tears until she could find a place where no one would see her cry.

But right as she opened the door, her movement was halted by a familiar touch. Yuzuki turned around to see that Naruto was standing behind her, gripping her wrist.

"Naruto-kun?" she asked, surprised to see him there.

"I don't want you to go," Naruto said, his eyes fixed on the floor.

 _'Did I hear him right just now? And what's wrong with his voice?'_ Yuzuki wondered. "Could you...speak a little louder, please?"

"Don't go, Yuzuki!" Naruto pleaded. "I want you to stay! I like being with you! I don't want to feel lonely! Please stay!"

Now Yuzuki knew something was wrong with the living Naruto. "Look at me," she gently commanded, but Naruto refused to do so. Yuzuki placed her free hand under his chin and tilted his head up, and for a split second, Yuzuki saw his eyes flash red. And it wasn't the red, slitted eyes of the Kyūbi. It was the black and red eyes of Naruto's dark side.

 _'This is just like what happened with his future self this morning. What in the world is going on with Naruto-kun?'_ Yuzuki turned to look at the yūrei anchored to her, and confirmed that his eyes were still unchanged from this morning: red surrounded by black. Despite the protests of her mind, her heart knew she was still completely safe around the ghost Naruto. She knew he would never harm her, but there was still something wrong with him. His eyes had not returned to normal, and now the living Naruto was showing the same symptoms of whatever had happened to the ghost Naruto. But at least one good thing had come of this. Whatever it was that had transpired, had created in the living Naruto a desire for her to stay with him. And she was now more certain than ever that her presence in his home was necessary.

Yuzuki pulled the living Naruto into a hug and as she did this, told the ghost Naruto with her eyes to join in this embrace.

"It'll be okay now, Naruto-kun. I will never leave your side..."

x-x

 **Editor's Note: Okay, so it looks like Naruto might be the only member of the Konoha 11 whose outfit is different from his Shippūden counterpart in this fic. Thus far, the only other notable differences in appearances for the Konoha 11 besides Hinata and most of the males being shorter at this point in the timeline are that Sakura has temporarily grown her hair back out while Hinata's hair hasn't reached its Shippūden length yet.**

 **A/N: So the issue of Yuzuki's background is addressed and will come to resolution later. I had intended to address it later but the recent reviews forced it to come to light sooner. I might not change physical appearances, at least not much, but I might change a few clothing choices as the story goes on. And yes, Yuzuki is now living with Naruto as his legal guardian (of course Naruto doesn't know that part...yet). Some of you also wanted to know how the influence of Yuzuki and Yūrei Naruto affects their counterparts, well you got a peek of that in this chapter with Naruto and more will be shown later. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed and please leave a review.**

 **Response to Hektols' review for last chapter: At the time the first version of this chapter was posted, two reasons were given for why it would be impossible for Yuzuki to be a clone created by Orochimaru. The first reason, which has since become invalid, was centered around how few people outside of the Hyūga and the Ōtsutsuki are shown to possess the Byakugan. Originally the only non-Hyūga who wielded the dōjutsu was Ao, who as we know, stole his Byakugan from a Hyūga. This reason was invalidated by the Itachi Shinden light novels, which introduced a Konoha jōnin named Mukai Kohinata who is a distant relative of the Hyūga capable of manifesting the Byakugan in only one eye. However, the second and main reason is still valid. Orochimaru never showed interest in the Byakugan in the source material, and arcs that were planned after the Konoha Crush to have Kabuto abduct Hinata for him were shot down by Kishimoto's editor due to being "too distracting from the main plot and requiring too much immediate follow-up". The dōjutsu Orochimaru was truly after was the "truth of all ninjutsu", aka, the Rinnegan. This is why he conducted his experiments to replicate Hashirama's Wood Release kekkei genkai and why he targeted Itachi, and later Sasuke, for their Sharingan.**

 **And to refute a claim from other reviewers that Orochimaru wasn't pursuing the Rinnegan: in the episode "Madara Uchiha", when Edo Madara demands to know how Kabuto was able to decipher the tablet at the Naka Shrine, Kabuto mentions a hypothesis about the dōjutsu's origins and claims that Edo Madara was the test of that hypothesis. This exchange confirms that Orochimaru was after the Rinnegan.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Neji**

Yuzuki watched quietly as Naruto said goodbye and went to find Hinata for their regular training sessions, reminiscing on what had transpired since her return to this time. Four weeks had now passed since Naruto accepted Yuzuki's offer to move in with him. During those four weeks, Yuzuki observed many changes in Naruto that had never happened in the original timeline.

Yuzuki remembered their time in the Academy, and how she would watch Naruto spend hours training on his own, often waiting until it was well past sunset and most of Konoha was sleeping to return to his apartment. While Naruto still spent most of his time training while he wasn't on missions, he was much quicker to return home than he used to be. This came as no surprise to Yuzuki. Naruto would not have wanted to stay here, not when it felt so lonely here. It had nothing to do with the apartment itself; Naruto's apartment was larger than the norm in Konoha and in better condition than most assumed, and she had heard one time that it was estimated to be worth one point five million ryō. But getting rid of the constant loneliness he felt during his childhood, the same loneliness she suffered after his death? That was priceless.

Naruto's diet also saw major improvements, due to her cooking. Yuzuki knew she would never be able to completely break Naruto of his addiction to ramen, and she did not want to. Ramen was still his comfort food; eating it was his original source of happiness, and she would never take that away from him. But Naruto was more willing to eat a greater variety of food now, as long as it was her or her counterpart who put their feelings into making the meal.

Speaking of Hinata, Yuzuki noticed the relationship between her younger self and Naruto had strengthened dramatically since her arrival. Almost every day that Team Eight was in the village and he was free from missions, Naruto would find a way to drag Hinata away from her team and clan and spend most of the day training with her. His taijutsu was starting to show remarkable improvements from the constant sparring sessions between them. Sometimes Naruto would get lost in his time with Hinata and still end up coming home late despite knowing Yuzuki would want him to return early. This relegated most of Yuzuki's training sessions with Naruto to the early morning, before she went on wall patrol. Yuzuki kept pushing Naruto harder in his training, knowing how important it was and not just because of her mission in this timeline. She had been entrusted with the continuation of his training by Jiraiya and Tsunade, and she could not let them down.

Registering as a ninja once more had not come easy to Yuzuki. She was first required to submit a blood sample, then perform a series of tests determined to gauge her ability in stamina, chakra control, etc., which she'd managed to pass. Once the first set of tests was completed, the proctors for her examination put her in a series of spars. Most of her opponents were easily dispatched; their taijutsu prowess was far inferior to hers.

But her last opponent?

Just seeing him shredded her heart as surely as he'd once tried to do back at the Chūnin Exams.

(Flashback)

 _"It would appear that I am your last opponent in this exam," he'd said as he came into view, his eyes focused on the clipboard the proctors handed him which had a copy of the data they'd collected on Yuzuki. "From what I am told, you possess considerable ability in taijutsu and—" his voice abruptly stopped when he caught a glance of her through his peripheral vision. He dropped his clipboard and instinctively activated his Byakugan, and then froze._

 _"What is this?"_

 _"Neji..." Yuzuki whispered with no small amount of sadness in her voice._

 _Neji was on high alert as he examined his opponent with a high level of suspicion. He was meticulous in keeping track of each member of the Hyūga Main House, but he recognized right away when he saw this woman that he had never seen her in the complex, let alone anywhere else in Konoha. Even though he had never seen her, she looked strangely familiar to him; Neji thought she looked just like his first cousin/half-sister Hinata, but he knew that wasn't supposed to be possible. And judging from the data provided to him by the proctors for her registration exam, there was a chance that her_ _ability_ _in the Hyūga Clan's taijutsu would be a match for his own._ _Neji_ _was the prodigy of the Hyūga Clan, able to_ _defeat_ _almost_ _every_ _one in his clan_ _in a pure taijutsu fight_ _,_ _so this was of some concern_ _._ _But_ _what really got to him was that the_ _mystery woman's chakra levels were_ _unlike anything he'd ever seen in a Hyūga_ _._ _Neji thought that_ _the strength of her chakra_ _,_ _given enough time and training,_ _might even rival Naruto's._ _The more he analyzed the situation, the stronger_ _h_ _e felt_ _t_ _hat even if he went all-out against her,_ _there was a very real chance that he would lose_ _._

 _"Who are you?" Neji asked._

 _Yuzuki, in the meantime, was struggling to fight off the urge to run up to Neji and embrace him, letting her tears flow freely from the joy of seeing him alive again. She had to figure out a way to divert Neji's focus away from exposing her existence to the rest of the clan._

 _"You wouldn't have seen me before, and for good reason," she explained, reciting a similar introduction to the one she'd given her younger self. "My name is Yuzuki, Neji-kun."_

 _"You know that's not what I meant, Yuzuki-sama," Neji replied, causing Yuzuki to frown at his choice of honorific for her. Since she did not bear the Hyūga juinjutsu (cursed seal technique), she could only be part of the Main House, or perhaps a Branch House member who had somehow been hidden away by her parents long enough to spare her from receiving the seal. The latter was much more unlikely, and so Neji was forced to address her as he would have addressed the 'First Family' of the Hy_ _ūga Clan._

 _As he expected, Yuzuki remained silent, only raising her hand to indicate to Neji that she would not say anything more about this issue. If she wanted to keep certain things secret from him, it was her prerogative as part of the Main House, if she was indeed one of them. Neji understood all too well. However, he also understood that most members of the Main House would have been more forceful in their silencing of him, which only served to heighten his suspicions of Yuzuki._

 _"I see. So that's how it is." Yuzuki bit her bottom lip as she nodded. Neji entered a Gentle Fist kata and continued, "Then you will have to forgive me for my impudence, Yuzuki-sama, but I have no other choice. If you cannot give me the answers I seek, I will not be able to hold back in this fight. Should I defeat you and you still refuse to answer my questions, I will have to report you to Hiashi-sama."_

 _This was bad. The only way Yuzuki could remain in Konoha is if she remained below her father's radar. It was the main argument she had made against adopting Naruto; nothing good would come of her existence being revealed to Hiashi or the elders. The way she saw it, even if the other issues with her status as a time traveler did not apply, there was no reason why she should be forced to reintegrate into the Hyūga Clan. The night Sasuke murdered Hiashi in her future was also the night Hiashi had severed any and all remaining ties she had to_ _the clan_ _._

 _"I will only say two things, Neji-kun," Yuzuki spoke up, struggling to avoid the affectionate 'nii-san' suffix she'd once used for her first cousin/half-brother. "First, I would ask that you do not address me as -sama. And second, if you cannot defeat me then you will remain silent on this matter."_

 _"Very well, Yuzuki-san," Neji acknowledged, charging at her. And so began the first true fight Yuzuki had against Neji since that fateful day back at the Chūnin Exams, so long ago..._

x-x

(Back in the present)

Tsunade's office was littered with medical records and empty saké bottles as she searched frantically for any proof of Yuzuki's existence. For those who knew the Slug Princess, the large number of empty bottles was all the proof they needed of her frustration as her search continued to come up empty-handed.

"Nothing," she growled, tossing aside another file. "Zero," tossing away yet another. "Dammit, these are all useless!" she finally screamed, slamming her hands against the desk hard enough to send the rest of the stack scattering across the floor.

"Please calm down, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune urged. "There must be something here we have overlooked."

"How can I calm down, Shizune-chan? We're out of time! If we don't find some sort of results to disprove Danzō's accusations, he'll bring the Fire Daimyō into this mess, and that is the last thing this village can afford! But that isn't even the worst part!"

"Huh? What could be worse than getting thrown out of office and leaving Naruto-kun, Yuzuki-san and the rest of the village at his mercy?"

"The very act would force me to publicly admit that his policy is right, when we know it's not. And we'll most likely be marked as criminals if Danzō takes the hat from me, Shizune-chan."

"Now isn't the time for you to fold your hand, Tsunade," Jiraiya said with a grin, entering the office through her window. In one of his hands was a small vial containing a blood sample.

"I really hope your spy network came through for us, old perv," Tsunade growled. "Otherwise I'll have to knock that stupid grin off your face."

"Well, I do have some information that will help, but you'll have to take it with a grain of salt."

"Right now, any news is better than what we've got," Shizune pointed out.

"Okay then." Jiraiya carefully placed the vial down inside one of Tsunade's pen holders and said, "First off, I can confirm that Danzō is continuing to disregard your threats. That little incident down at T&I has only emboldened him," he referenced the event which occurred the same day Yuzuki underwent her registration exam. Danzō had been captured by Tsunade's Anbu and was interrogated personally by the Slug Princess, with Ibiki Morino and Anko Mitarashi there assisting. However, the two members of the Konoha Council, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, had seen fit to barge in along with one very angry Fire Daimyō who demanded that Danzō be released from custody immediately. Since the Daimyō provided the bulk of Konoha's funds and was capable of crippling, if not destroying her village through either conventional or economic warfare, Tsunade had been forced into compliance before she could obtain tangible proof of Danzō's treason, and the war hawk was set free, at least for now. The Daimyō had made it clear that Danzō had immunity, and that any attempt to terminate his life without adequate evidence of his crimes would result in the destruction of Konoha.

"He's assigned his Root ninja to tail both Naruto and Yuzuki-san at all hours of the day, every day," the Toad Sage continued.

"What about the regular Anbu that are supposed to be watching him?" Tsunade demanded. "Why are they allowing this?"

"I interrogated the Anbu that were supposed to be watching Naruto and Yuzuki-san and as it turns out, Danzō had the captain of that squad placed under a powerful genjutsu the likes of which I've never seen. He wasn't even aware that a command had been implanted into his mind until the interrogation. Until Danzō is killed, Tsunade, we cannot rely on our Anbu. He's seizing control over Konoha." This time, Tsunade's fist left a dent in her desk when she slammed it down: not an easy feat to accomplish since it had been specially created by a certain member of the Anbu to resist her Chakra Enhanced Strength.

"That bastard," Tsunade said through clenched teeth. "This only goes to show why he should have been killed a long time ago!"

"But the evidence Jiraiya-sama has gathered is useless right now, Tsunade-sama," Shizune observed. "Because if Danzō is using this genjutsu against our Anbu..."

"Then he's probably also using it to control the Daimyō," Jiraiya continued for Shizune. "And if that's the case..."

"Then another confrontation with the Daimyō in person will be necessary to reestablish my authority in Konoha once Danzō is eliminated," Tsunade completed the observation. "In the meantime, we'll need to interrogate our entire Anbu Black Ops division and find out who else has been affected by Danzō's genjutsu. And until we can confront the Daimyō and reveal that he's being controlled, we'll need to find a way to keep Danzō under house arrest."

Jiraiya nodded. It wasn't that good of a plan; but until they made sure the Shinobi of Darkness had no fail-safes in the event of his fall, he was finding it difficult to suggest a better one. "There is other information," the Toad Sage said after a few seconds. "Our medic-nin have completed the analysis of the blood sample Yuzuki-san provided a few weeks ago and have printed the results."

Tsunade fell back in her chair and sighed. "What the hell took them so long, Jiraiya?"

"Unfortunately, this is where things are about to get a whole lot more complicated." Jiraiya stepped aside just as the door to Tsunade's office opened and her apprentice Sakura walked in, holding the test results in her arms.

"Sakura?" Tsunade asked.

"The med lab was running short on staff so I had to analyze the sample myself, Tsunade-shishō," Sakura explained.

"Damn it, Jiraiya!" Tsunade snapped at her ex-teammate. "This was supposed to be kept between us! How could you let Sakura in on this?"

"Did you not hear what Sakura just said, Hime?" Jiraiya shot back. "There was probably a medical emergency Shizune-san had to attend to that made her unable to perform the tests. Sakura didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Besides, what she discovered has given her a personal stake in this, so I recommend that you let her in. Otherwise our problems will only get worse."

"Jiraiya-sama is right, Tsunade-shishō. Had Jiraiya-sama not got to me when he did, I would have told Naruto," Sakura confessed.

"And don't even dare say that Sakura-chan is out of line, Tsunade-sama," Shizune scolded her master before she could speak. She then turned to Sakura and asked, "What did you find, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura sighed. "Well, Shizune-senpai, the good news is that Yuzuki-san is one hundred percent Hyūga, so that makes it less likely that she's spying for another village," she explained.

"And what's the bad news?" Tsunade asked.

Sakura began to set down the paperwork on Tsunade's desk and indicated the first paper with her index finger. "The first sheet shows the analysis of Yuzuki's DNA."

Tsunade rubbed her temples in frustration. "What's the point of this, Sakura?"

Sakura put the second paper in front of Tsunade and continued, "The second sheet is the analysis of Hinata's DNA that was done the last time she needed to provide a sample. In order to verify that Yuzuki is a Hyūga, I needed to cross-reference her DNA with that of another Hyūga to confirm all the genetic markers for their kekkei genkai, and Hinata's was the most recent sample available to use. And this...this is why I was going to run off and tell Naruto," she said in a shaky voice, though her trembling was not from Tsunade's anger as she placed the third paper on Tsunade's desk.

Tsunade's eyes widened as she looked at the third sheet, the one that compared Yuzuki's DNA to Hinata's. "This isn't possible," she whispered. Shizune and Jiraiya also looked at the sheet and gasped when they saw the final results of the analysis.

Yuzuki's DNA was identical to Hinata's.

x-x

(Flashback continues)

 _After the initial charge, Yuzu_ _ki managed to push Neji back even as she lost ground. She was already a little short on breath; all the experience she had over her cousin did not seem to count for much as he was in better physical shape than her. Neji also had a strong drive to win; he was fighting for the cla_ _n as well as to find answers, but he believed exposing her was necessary to ensure their protection_ _. This gave him greater reason to show his full strength._ _Yuzuki decided she would likely have to rely on_ _the_ _chakra enhancements_ _Hamura gave her in the original timeline,_ _along with her experience_ _to achieve this crucial victory and earn Neji's silence._

 _"It seems I overestimated you, Yuzuki-san," Neji said, an obvious attempt to bait Yuzuki into a reckless attack._

'I will not fall for the bait, Neji-nii-san,' _Yuzuki thought as she steadied herself and took a defensive stance. Neji's voice contained traces of his old arrogance, but while he was still prone to overconfidence, he had long since been cured of his former mistaken beliefs by the upset victory Naruto gained over him in the Chūnin Exam Finals. Right now, he was trying to gauge his opponent, assess her weaknesses and exploit them._

 _"I have not truly begun to fight, Neji-kun," Yuzuki replied, not moving out of her stance. Neji knew he would have to press another offensive and charged in. This time, Yuzuki harshly deflected the first palm strike before pushing chakra into her legs to go on her own offensive. Her attacks were aimed at Neji's chest, intending to disrupt his entire chakra network with a strike at the core. Neji easily blocked the attacks, but he noticed as he jumped back to put distance between them that her style of fighting was much more fluid than usual. Yuzuki's flexibility was far above the norm for a Hyūga. And he was certain Yuzuki had not intended to reveal this knowledge to him._

'This particular style of Gentle Fist...it is far too similar to the one Hinata-sama uses,' _Neji observed,_ _stopping the first movements of Yuzu_ _ki's attempt to strike with the Gentle Fist Art: Exorcism and further distanc_ _ing_ _himself from her_ _._ 'Surely it is just a coincidence. There's no way she could be...'

 _Neji broke off the train of thought and shouted, "Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!" thrusting his palm forward to deliver a ranged attack. Yuzuki pivoted out of the way and launched several Water Needles at him, which he wasn't able to dodge completely. Neji winced as the attacks hit his legs, temporarily hindering his mobility. Yuzuki then charged in again, but rather than try to deflect the attack, he struck preemptively using a technique she knew he had developed prior to the Konoha-Suna Joint Chūnin Exams in the original timeline, the Gentle Fist: Chakra Point Needle, aiming it at her legs just as she had done to him with her previous move. Yuzuki fell to her knees after the needle struck one of the tenketsu (pressure points) in her left leg, and took too long to get back to her feet, allowing him to put the desired distance between them once more._

 _"Perhaps my prior adjustment of_ _the proctors'_ _initial assessment was in error," Neji said_ _as Yuzuki used the short reprieve to reopen the tenketsu he closed_ _. "You have shown considerable skill in our clan's fighting style, Yuzuki-san._ _But_ _I cannot allow this match to go on any longer. And you are in the field of my divination."_

 _That_ _last statement_ _meant Neji was about to initiate the Hyūga Clan's most feared Gentle Fist Art, the Eight Trigrams:_ _Sixty-Four_ _Palms._ _After his last attack,_ _Yuzuki's legs were too numb to attempt to evade. She would have no choice but to block_ _it_ _by using the same technique_ _, despite knowing that Neji would only grow even more suspicious if she successfully countered him._

 _"Eight Trigrams: Two Palms!" Neji and Yuzuki shouted simultaneously, matching each other blow for blow. "Four Palms!" and again, no ground was given or taken,_ _nor would it be as they both entered the next stages of the attack_ _. Their clash generated a harsh gust of wind that pounded against the training dummies posted at the far end of this field._ _Their yells of determination as each of them_ _battled to determine the superior fighter were carried by the wind, and had Tsunade not chosen one of the more distant training grounds to commence the examination, the battle would be attracting an unwanted crowd._

 _Only at the end of the clash were they forced apart. Both sets of sixty-four strikes had nullified each other, and Neji was left feeling winded. But Yuzuki wasn't about to give him any reprieve. If she didn't strike now, Neji would push forward into the next stage that only he could perform, the Eight Trigrams: One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms, and if his attack was allowed to commence, the result would be disastrous._

 _"Eight Trigrams: Twin Lions Soaring Shot!" Yuzuki shouted as the familiar lion-shaped chakra surrounded her palms. Neji's eyes widened as he took what few moments he had to analyze this technique. While it visually looked similar to another Main House technique, specifically the Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists, the chakra surrounding Yuzuki was colored purple instead of blue. And rather than charge in at him, she jumped into the air and then came crashing down._

 _Neji had never seen this technique before, nor had any suspicion that it existed until now. Having no idea what would happen if it landed, his training left him with only one response, and the knowledge that the effectiveness of said response would decide the outcome of this match._

 _"Eight Trigrams Palms Rotation!" Neji exclaimed, entering the Hyūga Clan's renowned ultimate defense in an attempt to_ _repel_ _the_ _attack_ _and reverse_ _the momentum Yuzuki had gained_ _. Unfortunately for him, it failed. The first strike from Yuzuki drained most of the chakra Neji expelled to maintain the defense, allowing the second strike to break through and connect with his midsection._ _Neji_ _was sent flying and_ _collided with a tree_ _almost fifteen meters behind him._

 _"Victory...goes to you, Yuzuki-san," Neji conceded with a_ _smile_ _that was almost indistinguishable from his normal stoic expression._

 _Yuzuki's only reply_ _as Neji_ _fell_ _to the ground_ _was a small nod._

(End flashback)

x-x

Yuzuki sighed as she finished reminiscing over the fight. Neji had been, and would always be the superior fighter in their family; the only reason she had pulled off a victory was due to the awakening of Hamura's chakra inside her during the Moon Crisis. However, he was also true to his word and remained silent since his defeat. Yuzuki's existence had not been revealed to the Hyūga Clan. Yet she knew it was still just a matter of time before he would either confront her once more, or seek his answers another way. Neji was touted as a genius, after all. She would not be able to hide her secrets from him much longer.

She returned inside and undressed herself, then put on a white jacket and dark blue pants she bought the day after she'd completed her registration exam. As she changed clothes, she noticed that her hair had grown longer, but wasn't sure if it was natural growth or part of the merging process. Either way, she decided she would need to get a haircut soon.

Once her morning rituals were completed, she stopped at a nearby bakery to pick up a cinnamon bun before proceeding to the village walls for her daily patrol run. That was when Yuzuki noticed something was off. After several years, she was used to the feeling of someone following her from the shadows, usually an Anbu member assigned to keep her under surveillance. And she knew right away that the person following her was not supposed to be there. A single glance at the ghost Naruto confirmed this.

Yuzuki abruptly stopped and turned in a different direction, appearing to walk aimlessly through the streets. In reality, she meant to lure her unwanted tail into the abandoned Uchiha district, where she would be able to interrogate and if necessary, dispose of him without any witnesses.

Her plan worked. The tracker followed her inside one of the worn-down buildings.

Giving her the perfect opportunity to strike.

Her tail had no chance. Yuzuki was far too fast and defeated him with just a single palm thrust to his chest, disrupting his entire chakra network by attacking the core. He tried to yell out, hoping to draw attention, but Yuzuki pinned him to the ground and pressed down on his stomach with one knee while gagging him with a spare cloth she kept in her purse.

"There will be no yelling for backup," Yuzuki quietly commanded her new captive. "I am going to ask you some questions, and then I will hand you over to Tsunade-sama."

The tracker groaned as she removed the cloth from his mouth. However, he stubbornly refused to speak. Yuzuki sighed. "You are aware that there are three hundred and sixty-one tenketsu in the human body," she stated more than asked, striking one of the major tenketsu in his left leg. "Each one creates a different way for me to cause you pain. Just one strike alone would cause agony, but if I were to hit certain combinations of tenketsu, I could cause you irreparable damage.

"Now that you understand the position you are in, I will permit you to speak. But if you try anything I don't like, you will soon find yourself wishing for death."

There was no response whatsoever from her captive. He remained as still as possible considering the physical pressure Yuzuki applied. The only thing that changed was that a few drops of sweat were forming on his brow. She didn't like this; by now he should have been screaming. She briefly glanced at the ghost Naruto, who appeared to be contemplating something but was unable to tell her his thoughts.

Yuzuki sighed again, this time out of irritation. "So, you think you already know pain. Let me tell you something," she spat in his face, Byakugan activated and seeming to pierce through the blank space where his soul should have been. "I have been through hell and back. I have endured a great many things you would never survive. I do not care what you think of me, nor why you stubbornly insist on withholding the information I seek to obtain."

Finally, there was a response. The captive stuck his tongue out at Yuzuki for just a second, but in that second, both she and the ghost Naruto saw a cursed seal on his tongue. She glanced at Naruto, who responded by pointing out the window at a nearby tree that was recently uprooted. It took her another two seconds to realize what the yūrei was trying to tell her, but when she did, her blood ran cold.

 _'Root? This man is part of the Foundation?'_ She looked at Naruto again, and the look on his face turned murderous. He was trying to tell her that she needed to kill her captive right now. But she couldn't do that. She had to let Tsunade decide his fate.

"You think a seal on your tongue will prevent me from making you talk?" Yuzuki hissed. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."

And then the captive chose to speak. And his words chilled Yuzuki to the bone.

"Am I supposed to care?" he sneered. "You claim you've suffered, but you are unable to comprehend what it's like to sacrifice everything for the greater good, including your sense of self. How naïve of you. It almost makes me want to question why it was necessary to track you in the first place." His words were not said as an attempt to stall, were not part of any effort towards self-preservation. They were carefully chosen after calculating how best to unnerve his captor.

Yuzuki just frowned. "Then I guess you don't mind sacrificing this arm," she said, striking every major tenketsu in the Root ninja's right arm. This time, he screamed in pain. But he also laughed in-between screams.

"Is it any wonder the Container's loyalty is compromised, when he is living with someone like _you?"_

 _This_ time he got the desired reaction. Because _that_ line could only have been said if Danzō allowed it.

"Excuse me?" Yuzuki said, raising an eyebrow. "How is giving Naruto-kun the love and kindness he was denied compromising his loyalty?"

The Root ninja continued laughing humorlessly. "You continue to prove my point. By yourself, you're already a major security threat. But the affection you're lavishing on the Container...what do you suppose that will lead to? Hmm? What would happen if he were to have to choose between you and the village? What is to stop you from using him to destroy Konoha as he did fourteen years ago?"

Yuzuki slammed her palm into her captive's nose, breaking it. _"Never_ insinuate that Naruto-kun is the Kyūbi, you piece of filth," she hissed. "That alone just ensured your death. Besides, Naruto-kun knows I would never exploit him." To her astonishment, he gave her a malicious smile, made all the worse by his facial injuries.

"Your intentions don't matter," the Root ninja continued with some difficulty after Yuzuki had just 'reminded him of his situation'. "By this time, the Container is already in Danzō-sama's custody, and soon you will be too. He'll be reprogrammed to realize his true loyalties. We'll make you watch as we destroy and remake him, and then we'll have him terminate you and sever any lingering traces of his pitiful attachment. You may be able to put up a fight, but the Container...he'll never know what hit him!"

Yuzuki howled as she slammed a chakra-coated palm into his abdomen, rendering him unconscious. Not having any time to make sure he was incapacitated, she jumped out of the window and started running towards Team Eight's preferred training ground, desperate to make sure the living Naruto was still safe.

 _'Hold on, Naruto-kun, I'm coming!'_

But as she ran, she felt a swelling hate overwhelm the ghost Naruto, unaware that this hate was starting to transform him.

x-x

Several dozen kilometers to the southwest of Konoha, close to the border with Kawa no Kuni (Land of Rivers), Itachi Uchiha and his partner Kisame Hoshigaki were stationed just outside one of their organization's safe houses, mulling over the information delivered to them by Zetsu. Kisame, the Monster of the Hidden Mist, was anxious for a fight but tried to stay composed, while Itachi...

"You seem awfully distracted today, Itachi," Kisame observed, addressing his partner. Itachi did not reply, choosing to continue staring off into the distance from the large rock he sat on. The information and the orders passed on to him disturbed him.

 _'Something has changed,'_ Itachi thought, questioning Zetsu's information. According to the homunculus, Jiraiya the Toad Sage had recently returned to Konoha along with Naruto. Itachi held great admiration for the extremes Jiraiya would go to to protect the Uzumaki child and keep the Akatsuki from discovering his location by remaining mobile, constantly moving from one location to another. It had made it difficult even for Zetsu to keep track of the spymaster and his jinchūriki apprentice. However, Itachi was not keeping tabs on Naruto solely as part of his cover in Akatsuki. Many of his reasons for watching the boy were more personal and heavily related to his wayward brother, Sasuke.

"You know, I don't appreciate being ignored," Kisame said. Itachi sighed and stood up. His partner could be a real pest sometimes.

"Our plans have changed now that the Kyūbi jinchūriki has returned home," Itachi said.

"Is that so?" Kisame asked, showing all of his razor-sharp teeth in a wide grin. He knew there was a reason why he was anxious for a fight.

"Yes, though there is something odd about this turn of events."

"Hmm." Kisame removed Samehada from his back and gently stroked the bandages wrapped around it before asking, "You aren't holding out on me, are you, Itachi? I think you actually knew where that brat was this past year and chose to lie to us about it."

"Even if I did know his location, Kisame, we had orders from our leader to focus on locating and capturing the other jinchūriki, saving the Kyūbi for last," Itachi pointed out, refusing to look at his partner. "And as I said earlier, something is odd about this new intel. We were led to believe the boy would not return to Konoha for another two years."

"Maybe Jiraiya just got tired of training him," Kisame joked. "It'd be pretty hard for that lecher to do his stupid research with the little brat hanging off his leg all the time."

"Whatever the reason may be, we have our new orders. We must infiltrate my former home again. I have some questions which need answering." And then Itachi vanished, leaving only a flock of crows scattering away from where he once stood.

"I hate it when he does that," Kisame muttered to himself before sinking into the ground.

x-x

Back in Tsunade's office, the Fifth Hokage had been pacing across it non-stop for the past hour, leaving Shizune to handle the paperwork she could not focus on any longer. Jiraiya leaned against a wall perilously close to the window, closing his eyes shut and thinking deeply on the situation. And Sakura was twitching madly, looking like she was about to start a fight with someone if that was what it took to end this maddening silence.

"So what now, Tsunade-shishō?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know, dammit!" Tsunade snapped at her apprentice, then slammed her fists down on her desk again, startling Shizune and pulling Jiraiya away from his thoughts.

"From the looks of it, we're stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place," Jiraiya observed, "and that hard place is under the control of a would-be tyrant who's currently untouchable if we want to keep our village from getting crushed by said hard place. This mess is far too complicated."

"That's certainly an understatement, Jiraiya-sama!" Shizune exclaimed. "You know protocol dictates that we have to arrest Yuzuki-san and bring her in for questioning!"

"If we do that, Danzō wins," the Toad Sage pointed out. "Besides, a simple visit from Inoichi-san would handle the interrogation quickly and painlessly. Even then, I doubt he'd find anything in Yuzuki-san's mind which would incriminate her. She is hiding something from us, but I don't believe she's doing it with any ill intent. If anything, I believe she's trying to protect all of us, or at least Naruto. And that brings us back to the problem. If we act against her, Danzō will take advantage and make his own move."

"Well, aren't you always the optimistic one," Tsunade said. "How can you be so sure of her motives, you old perv?"

"Two reasons." Jiraiya turned to look out the window before continuing, "First, the woman saved both my life and Naruto's jumping into a situation that, by all rights should have killed her. If she meant to do us harm, the most effective thing she could have done that night to achieve that was to do nothing. And second, well, that would be better explained if the three of you come look out the window."

Curiosity piqued by the Toad Sage's words, the Slug Princess and her assistant and apprentice followed his suggestion and gasped at the sight. Two of Danzō's Root shinobi were tied to a nearby street light, unconscious and marred with bruises. Then they turned their gaze to the streets right in front of the tower and sure enough, Naruto was walking side-by-side with Yuzuki, and his face showed no small amount of worry for his legal guardian since she also boasted some minor injuries. The pair stopped for a few minutes while Yuzuki knelt down to assure Naruto that she was alright. Eventually, the worry on his face vanished and he laughed a joyous laugh as he ran off towards his apartment and Yuzuki followed suit.

Sure enough, the three kunoichi were awe-struck by the positive effect Yuzuki had on Naruto.

"Send Asuma-san and Kurenai-san to the Daimyō's palace to break him free of the genjutsu that's controlling him," Jiraiya advised. "Kurenai-san is our best genjutsu user, and Asuma-san used to be part of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve, so that gives them the best chance of getting in without causing trouble. Once that's done, we'll have Danzō dealt with.

"As for Yuzuki-san...removing her from Naruto's life now would destroy him, Tsunade. You have to tread with caution when it comes to them."

x-x

 **Editor's Note: Okay, we're willing to admit that Chapter 7 was not the best thing that has been done with this story and have decided to rewrite/improve certain parts of it to address the issues that were pointed out about certain scenes being rushed.**

 **Response to Hektols' review: Let's consider what we know from canon and have seen in filler, specifically the filler movie Inheritors of the Will of Fire. In that movie, the Fire Daimyō threatened to destroy Konoha if Tsunade did not get the situation she was summoned to address (potential _coup d'état_ in the Land of Fire resulting from a Shinobi Alliance) under control and was unwilling to listen to Tsunade explain why the Alliance was necessary. He would not have made that threat if he was not capable of making good on it. We also know that Danzō is willing to allow Konoha to be destroyed, and is willing to manipulate/control the Daimyō (who is rather easily swayed) to further his agenda; Pain's Assault and the Gokage Summit are the canonical proof of this.**

 **Perhaps Tsunade is being overly cautious and allowing Danzō to get away with treason _for now,_ but the survival of Konoha comes first and if executing a traitor will ensure the destruction of the village, you should be able to understand why she is hesitant to act decisively. The Shinobi of Darkness will meet his end soon, though.**

 **As for the Dark Naruto segments...well...let's just say it's...complicated.**

 **A/N: Pretty much everything my editor said. Dealing with spirits and other supernatural entities is a complex subject and rarely ever makes logical sense, but I have edited the previous chapters to fix what needed fixing. Rest assured that any other issues which arise will be taken care of. Anyway, I don't think there is much else to discuss right now but if I missed anything, point it out in your review and I will address it when I get a chance.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Suspicions**

Happiness filled the kitchen in the early morning as Naruto devoured the homemade ramen Yuzuki made him for breakfast, pushing the events from one week ago out of his mind. Yuzuki had been truly amazing back there, taking out a pair of high-level ninja and making them look like rank amateurs. She was an incredibly strong woman, and an excellent cook as well, and to top it all off, she was just so gentle and patient with him most of the time. Naruto didn't want to think on what might have happened if Yuzuki hadn't been there for him. He didn't want to imagine what his life would be like if she hadn't come into it when she did.

Yuzuki was content to just watch him slurp his meal, giving him her kind smile as always. She was waiting for him to finish so she could surprise him with what she'd learned from Tsunade after the incident with the trio of Root shinobi who were now suffering greatly at T&I for their attempt to rob Naruto of everything that made him him.

Once he finished eating, Naruto thanked Yuzuki again for the wonderful meal she made him and was about to head towards Team Eight's training grounds. However, Yuzuki suddenly grabbed one of his hands, stopping him before he could reach the door.

"What's wrong, Yuzuki?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing's wrong, Naruto-kun," Yuzuki answered, tilting her head slightly to the left. "I just have something I want to tell you before we head out for training."

"Oh, okay." Naruto gently pulled his hand free from Yuzuki and asked, "So what's up?"

"After we returned home from that incident at the training grounds one week ago and I had to go back to Tsunade-sama to explain what happened, she confided to me that she was pushing for the next Chūnin Exams to take place earlier than normal. I took the liberty of asking Tsunade-sama to register you for the exams, which are to be held in Sunagakure next week."

"Wait, seriously?" Naruto looked excited at first, but then a second later looked depressed after remembering something very important and painful. "But Sasuke isn't here, so how am I supposed to take the exams if it's just me and Sakura-chan?"

"That's already been taken care of. Sakura-chan will be filling in for Shikamaru-kun on Team Asuma since he was promoted to chūnin last year, and Ino-chan and Chōji-kun are still genin. As for you, Naruto-kun, Tsunade-sama wasn't able to find two more genin who were able to join you, so she talked to Gaara-sama and he agreed to make an exception to the three-man team rule so you could take the exams. You'll be working with Team Eight: Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, and Hinata-chan."

"Really?" Naruto asked with a hopeful expression. Yuzuki nodded, and his face lit up with a huge grin. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he shouted, hugging Yuzuki tightly and making her giggle.

"You're...hehe...welcome, Naruto-kun," Yuzuki struggled to say between giggles.

"You're totally awesome, Yuzuki! With Hinata on my team, I just know I'll pass the exams for sure this time! But...how did you manage to pull that off?"

Yuzuki calmed down and smiled again. "I was able to convince Tsunade-sama that you were ready for another chance to take the exams. She's interested in seeing how far you've come in your training, Naruto-kun."

"Alright!" Naruto slammed his right fist into his open left palm and shouted, "I'll finally be able to surpass that jerk Sasuke at something! Thank you so much, Yuzuki!" and then hugged her again.

"I would appreciate it if you did not call him that, Naruto-kun, even if it is true," Yuzuki gently scolded him, pushing him back and resting her hands on his shoulders, "but you are welcome. Now, we only have a week before the exams start and I need to make sure you are completely ready for them. Tsunade-sama has given me the rest of the week off so I can devote more time to training you. You've come a long way in improving your taijutsu and your chakra control, but before you leave for Suna I want to teach you a new technique."

"Huh?" a confused Naruto asked. "A new jutsu? Do we even have time to do that in only a week?"

"Don't worry, it'll be easy. However, in order to learn this jutsu in time you will need to know something about your Shadow Clones." This only made Naruto more confused, so he started panicking a little.

"What about my Shadow Clones? What do they have to do with this? Please tell me what's going on, Yuzuki?"

Yuzuki stepped towards the front door and held out her hand, wanting for him to hold it in his. "Just trust me, okay Naruto-kun?"

Naruto still hadn't figured out why, but these simple gestures from Yuzuki always seemed to have a calming effect on his restless spirit. Looking into her smiling face, he took her hand and allowed her to lead him towards one of the more distant training grounds.

x-x

 _Several hours later..._

The newly appointed Fifth Kazekage, Gaara of the Desert sat across from Tsunade and kept his head low, mulling over the plans for the next Chūnin Selection Exams that were to be held in Sunagakure and calculating how best to respond to Tsunade's wish to hold the exams ahead of schedule. The exams were always held semi-annually, in January and July. For Tsunade to wish for him to deviate from this schedule would likely mean there was an extraordinary crisis in Konoha.

"Remind me again, Hokage-dono, why I must host the Chūnin Selection Exams early?" Gaara asked cautiously. "Adjusting the schedule to conduct the exams one month sooner than usual will not be as difficult for me as it would be for you if the exams were occurring here, but your request is still highly irregular. Your message also seemed urgent. Is there something going on inside Konoha that I need to know about?"

Tsunade sighed and turned her head towards the window for a moment, then turned back towards Gaara and answered, "Yes, Kazekage-dono, the issue is one that, as our ally we are required to inform you. It just so happens to involve someone who saved both of us from ourselves."

"Naruto Uzumaki," the Kazekage observed. It was not a question.

Tsunade nodded. "Roughly five weeks ago, Naruto and Jiraiya returned from their training journey with a strange woman. I already explained in my message that she intervened when Naruto lost control over his tenant and ended up saving Jiraiya's life. It is clear that this woman has a powerful connection to Naruto. But there is another complication. Unless someone in the Hyūga Clan had a twin sister who disappeared, this woman is also a clone."

If Gaara had eyebrows, they would have been raised after hearing those words. "I am not sure I understand what you are getting at, Hokage-dono."

"After this woman registered as a kunoichi, we tested her DNA and as it turns out, it exactly matches the DNA of another of our kunoichi, specifically one Hinata Hyūga."

Gaara looked unsettled at this newest statement from Tsunade. "Do you suspect Orochimaru has a hand in this? How much danger is Naruto in?"

Tsunade sighed and took a huge swig of her saké bottle. "If Orochimaru is responsible for creating Yuzuki, as she calls herself, it would go against everything we know about him. That snaky bastard has never shown any interest in the Byakugan, so this scenario is highly unlikely, though we are not dismissing the possibility. As for your second question, Kazekage-dono, believe it or not Yuzuki-san is not a threat to Naruto. All of her behavior since arriving in Konoha indicates a genuine desire to protect Naruto, without any ulterior motives. No, the reason this is a problem goes by the name of Danzō. The village elder perceives Yuzuki-san as a threat to Konoha because of the relationship she has rapidly built with Naruto. He believes—"

"That Naruto is a weapon that must be controlled," Gaara finished with disgust in his voice.

"Danzō's ideology is the complete opposite of the Will of Fire," Tsunade explained. "As ninja, we are often required to kill our emotions to make difficult decisions, but Danzō takes this to the extreme and would require that our ninja do not have emotions. He believes that allowing Yuzuki-san to lavish her affection onto Naruto will sway his loyalties away from Konoha. I have observed the interactions between Yuzuki-san and Naruto and sometimes I have to wonder if she's spoiling that little brat."

Gaara nodded. "I have not held the title of Kazekage for very long, Hokage-dono, but I can sympathize with you. My own village's council of elders has been problematic. Sometimes I wonder whether it is truly the Wind Daimyō's idiocy, or theirs that has led to Suna's precarious state. Danzō does not appear to be fundamentally different from them in his responses to this situation. From what you have told me so far, I would need to question the wisdom of separating Yuzuki from Naruto. It sounds to me as though any attempt to eliminate Yuzuki would cause Naruto to turn against your village."

"Jiraiya and Shizune-chan agree with you, Kazekage-dono. Arresting Yuzuki-san is only to be done as a last resort. We do need more information, but we need to obtain it discreetly."

"And this is why you are asking me to hold the Chūnin Exams early?"

"It's part of the reason," Tsunade confirmed. "Currently my Anbu have Danzō confined to his home, but I don't know how long I can continue to keep him under house arrest. It would be best if Naruto and Yuzuki-san are sent out of Konoha while I deal with the situation. This will also buy some time for two of my best jōnin who will be sent on an S-rank mission to free the Fire Daimyō from the genjutsu Danzō has inflicted on him."

Gaara's expression hardened. "If your head elder has done what you accuse him of, this is a perilous time for Konoha. I fear that you will soon start to suffer the same hardships as Suna."

"They may have already started. We don't know when the Daimyō fell under Danzō's control. But it's getting late, so while I handle this mess, allow me to arrange for your—" Tsunade tried to say, but was interrupted by a Boar-masked Anbu entering through her window.

"Hokage-sama, there is an urgent situation which needs your immediate attention," the Anbu stated.

"Speak!" Tsunade snapped. "Whatever it is had better be important enough to justify interrupting my meeting with the Kazekage!"

The Anbu gulped. "Someone has slipped past the village's sensing barrier without setting it off."

 _'Out of all the traitors to Konoha who have yet to be apprehended or eliminated, there are only a few who would know how to get past the barrier without being detected,'_ Tsunade thought, clenching her fists. _'Orochimaru hasn't moved against us since Sasuke deserted, and it would be too soon for Danzō to make his move and provide assistance to anyone that would assist him in his plans, so that only leaves...'_

"Find Naruto and Yuzuki-san and put them and Kazekage-dono into protective custody immediately!" Tsunade ordered, slamming her fists on her desk. "Notify every member of the Anbu that Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki have infiltrated the village! Any of you who are not busy confining Danzō needs to be either hunting down Itachi and Kisame or protecting their targets! Move it!"

x-x

Tsunade had no way of knowing when she issued the order that Danzō, not Naruto, was Itachi's target this evening.

Inside the Shimura residence, the squad of Anbu who were stationed there had come under a swift attack. Within seconds, all but one of the Anbu had been rendered unconscious, and the one who was still awake was grabbing at his own neck, reacting violently to a genjutsu that made his body think he was being strangled to death. Eventually, he too fell to the floor.

"Using your genjutsu is always so boring, Itachi," Kisame complained. "Why can't there ever be any excitement?"

"We are not here to start a war, Kisame," Itachi reminded his blue-skinned partner. "We are inside the heart of Konoha and must act carefully before we flee. It does not serve our interests to kill the Anbu who were standing watch over Danzō. Sparing their lives will give us some extra time while I address this private matter."

"So I'm supposed to just stand around and make sure nothing happens while we're here?" Kisame asked. Itachi didn't respond. "Hmph. Do what you want, but don't be long. I can't guarantee I'll hold myself back if we have to leave in a hurry."

Itachi gave Kisame a slight nod in acknowledgment of his words and walked through the dark hallways in search of his target. His search eventually led him to a moonlit garden behind the Shimura residence, where he found the Shinobi of Darkness sitting down in the center of the garden, sipping a cup of genmaicha and looking over one of his diaries.

"I see the fatal illness you contracted recently has not affected your abilities as a shinobi, Itachi," Danzō said, not budging an inch from his current position. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"First off, let me remind you that I have not forgotten the orders you gave to Root to steal Shisui's eyes and later, destroy my clan, the latter orders having only not been carried out successfully because I volunteered to perform the massacre myself and arrived at the compound first," Itachi replied, keeping his Sharingan trained on the treacherous elder.

Danzō grabbed his cane with his left arm and used it to push himself off the ground. "Shisui was misguided. The rebellion of the Uchiha could not have been averted through diplomacy. Using Kotoamatsukami to compel their leaders to negotiate would have only delayed the inevitable, but he did not wish to see reality. His idealism made him expendable. He was a necessary sacrifice to maintain the peace in this village. And no one appreciates the need for sacrifice more than we do, Itachi."

"Do not dare to presume that you and I are on the same level, Danzō. We are as far apart as heaven and hell. The only reason you are still alive is Sandaime-sama was naïve enough to show mercy. A mercy I will not show if I believe you are considering reneging on our agreement. We may both resign ourselves to a life in the shadows and we may both claim to act for the good of the village, but those are the only traits we have in common."

"Hmph. I suppose you are right about that. Spying on the Akatsuki for Konoha has not changed the fact you remain too soft. But you are not here to discuss matters of the past," Danzō observed.

Itachi blinked once, but had no other reaction. "You possess information which I require," he stated flatly.

"And how can I trust that it is you, and not the leader of Akatsuki who seeks this information?"

"Because if word should get out about what really happened the night I killed my clan, Danzō, your use of Kotoamatsukami to control the Daimyō will not be able to protect you any longer." It was the standard blackmail attempt from Itachi, but it had not lost its effectiveness over the years since the Uchiha Clan Downfall. "Tell me, have your combat skills kept up with your silver tongue?"

"And if that same word were to reach Sasuke, it would truly complete his treason against the village and lead him to attempt its destruction," the Shinobi of Darkness countered.

"There are already measures in place to ensure that never happens. Sasuke is isolated right now; word of your treachery will not easily reach him. He remains focused on his revenge against me, and is of no concern to us at this time."

Danzō gave a thin, knowing smile to Itachi. "Truly, you remain the perfect shinobi, Itachi. Very well, I will acquiesce and reveal the limited information I have acquired. It is needless to state that Jiraiya returned the Container to Konoha five weeks ago. But he returned with an additional person in his company, a female Hyūga who until her appearance alongside them did not exist in Konoha. Worse, Tsunade-hime chose to trust this Hyūga enough to give her custody of the Container. She is a dangerous liability to the village, both by merely existing and by influencing the Container. Her displays of affection towards him are dividing his loyalties." Itachi remained motionless as the elder spoke, analyzing Danzō's message and assessing the real situation, without the elder's slanted point of view. The very admission came too easily and was an obvious ploy to distract Itachi. It was too bad for Danzō that it would never work.

 _'There is a chance that this Hyūga may be of some help,'_ Itachi thought, analyzing how the revelation of the mystery Hyūga's existence affected his own plans. _'If she can keep Naruto from losing control to the Kyūbi, perhaps she can also be used to influence Sasuke for the better...'_

"By the way, I must thank you for disposing of my jailers," Danzō added after a brief pause, and before he finished speaking several Root ninja were flanking both sides of the elder. "You have served Konoha well, Itachi. But now there is only one more service you can render your village." His private army understood that as an order to attack and charged at Itachi.

They would not live long enough to understand that Danzō had completely miscalculated.

"How foolish of you to think you ever stood a chance of defeating me," Itachi whispered as his eyes morphed into the pinwheel pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan. Within the space of one second, every Root ninja inside the garden was engulfed in the black flames of Amaterasu, leaving only Itachi and Danzō untouched by the unending blaze. Truth be told, the Root ninja had only been meant as a secondary distraction—and they failed even at that. In his arrogance, Danzō chose not to flee and instead attempted to unwrap the bandages around Shisui's stolen eye and unlock the seals on his right arm, but before he could finish, Itachi had already slammed him against a wall. And in the next moment, the sky turned red and Danzō found himself strapped to a wooden cross, surrounded by many duplicates of Itachi.

"The second I stepped foot inside your home, Danzō, I already had you trapped inside my world. Those eyes you stole from my clan demand to have revenge on you for your crimes against them. You will now tremble and know true despair in the world of Tsukuyomi as you suffer endless agony and wish for the death you fear, but will not be granted that death. Let this ultimately be a reminder of why you will never know what it is like to wield the true power of the Sharingan."

Danzō's screams went unheard in the nightmare realm as time itself conspired with Itachi to draw out his suffering.

x-x

 _Time skip: One week_

By the time the Anbu Black Ops located Yuzuki and Naruto, Itachi and Kisame had already fled Konoha. Yuzuki had been upset, because she'd wanted to talk to Itachi and explain the situation with Sasuke to him, but she had a feeling she would get another chance later. Even though the threat had seemingly passed, she and Naruto were moved to a hotel for that night and placed under maximum security.

The rest of the week leading up to the Joint Chūnin Exams had passed by all too quickly, and without further incident. Currently, Tsunade was waiting inside her office along with Gaara, his older siblings Temari and Kankurō who were here as his bodyguards, and Shizune, awaiting Shikamaru's verdict on the written portion of the exams which he was overseeing.

"Yes, Kazekage-dono. Asuma-san and Kurenai-san were dispatched to the Fire Capital last night," Tsunade explained to her fellow Kage. "If all goes well, they should be arriving there by this evening and hopefully will be able to get access to our Daimyō and release him from the genjutsu Danzō is using to control him."

"That is good," Gaara said, "but I am still gravely concerned about the success of this mission. I am aware of their skill sets and their history with the Fire Daimyō, but it does not seem prudent to send them without backup. The samurai guarding your target are roughly equal to your Anbu in terms of their ability."

Tsunade rubbed her forehead in irritation. "No offense, Kazekage-dono, but you can still be unbearably naïve sometimes," she groaned, resisting the urge to reach under her desk for a saké bottle. "Our only chance to avoid a civil war is for them to get inside his castle without conflict. If the Daimyō or his advisors discovered that Suna ninja were present there, he would believe that we are working together to stage a coup against him, and this whole mess will end in the worst-case scenario for both our villages."

"My apologies," Gaara said sheepishly. "I have spent the past several months training to take this position, but I still have a great deal to learn."

Tsunade shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I appreciate the offer. But I have complete faith in my jōnin to complete the mission."

"That's good to hear, but perhaps you could explain why you don't place the same faith in me," a voice said from the window. Tsunade and Gaara both moved to attack before they realized it was just Kakashi Hatake, nose buried deep in the pages of Jiraiya's second ero-novel _Icha Icha Violence_ while he sat on the windowsill.

"Dammit, Kakashi!" Tsunade shouted. "Why don't you ever use the door? We were about to kill you this time!"

"Now, now, where would the fun be in that?" Kakashi briefly eye-smiled at Tsunade, then his face turned stern as he put away his book and changed the subject, "I would like an explanation, Hokage-sama."

 _'Great, just great,'_ Tsunade internally groaned as she refilled her saké cup and drank it quickly. This discussion with Kakashi had been a long time coming, but as usual, the Copy Ninja had the worst possible timing for his arrival. "Could you please excuse us, Kazekage-dono? I need to speak to Kakashi-san alone."

"I assume this is about _that_ subject you informed me on earlier this morning?" Gaara asked, and Tsunade nodded. "Very well. I will await your arrival in Suna, Hokage-dono." A few seconds later, Gaara and his siblings exited the office through the front door, leaving the Slug Princess alone with Shizune, Kakashi and the Anbu bodyguards.

"Sit down, Kakashi-san," Tsunade instructed him a few seconds after the Sand Siblings left. "It's rather a long story."

"If you're looking to keep me calm, Tsunade, you'll have to do a better job," Kakashi said in a forceful tone. "You know why I'm here, so you can skip the pleasantries."

"You're acting way above your pay grade to speak to me like that, Kakashi!" Tsunade snapped at the lazy Jōnin. "I'm not looking to keep you calm, I'm _ordering_ you to."

"With all due respect, _Hokage-sama,_ this matter involves one of my students, so you'll have to forgive me for being overly confrontational here."

"Oh, really? Tell me, Kakashi, is Naruto unsafe? Is his training inadequate? You seem to have all the answers, so please, enlighten me," the Fifth drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"So we're going to play this game? Fine. Six weeks ago, Naruto returned from his training trip with Jiraiya-sama, but during that time I have yet to be allowed to see him in person. He doesn't show up for any morning training sessions, he doesn't return to his apartment until late in the evening, and now I hear that you've negotiated a break of the exam rules and permitted Naruto to join a four-man team, but it isn't the team that has his remaining teammate from Team Seven." Kakashi slammed his hands on the Hokage's desk and demanded, "What's the big idea?"

"If you don't sit down and drop this attitude _immediately,_ Kakashi Hatake, I will demote you to genin and assign you to the worst D-rank missions available every day for the next three months, with reduced pay at that!" Tsunade threatened. Unlike her, Kakashi seemed to know when not to press his luck and reluctantly obeyed his superior officer. "Thank you. Now that you're actually willing to listen, I can attempt to explain what has happened.

"Naruto was assigned a new sensei when he returned, one who was uniquely suited to aiding him in improving his chakra control, taijutsu and resistance to genjutsu. During those six weeks, Naruto has shown remarkable progress in all of those areas. Also, he has been training on and off with Team Eight whenever they were available. With how well Naruto has got along with Team Eight since his return, it seemed only right to grant the request his new sensei had to let him take the exams with them," she finished with a smug look.

"Did it also seem right at the time to grant her legal custody over Naruto?" Kakashi challenged Tsunade again, revealing that he knew about that particular secret. "I already told you that I was

prepared to own up to the mistakes I made when I focused most of my attention on Sasuke before he deserted. And yet you decide to just do whatever you like with Naruto? Are you out of your mind?"

"Well had you not screwed up like that and gave Naruto the attention he deserved sooner, Kakashi, maybe we wouldn't be having this conversation!"

 _Smack!_ Tsunade and Kakashi both were stunned when Shizune, the only person who could get away with it without serious repercussions, moved away from the eternal backlog of paperwork stacked against the walls and slapped both of them in the face, killing the argument before it could completely explode.

"Would both of you shut the hell up!?" Shizune shouted. Tsunade and Kakashi both glared at her, but she stood her ground. "We are not getting anywhere like this. Kakashi-san, if you would just please calm down I'll be happy to explain how we got here. As for you, Tsunade-sama, don't let your damn pride cloud your judgment and affect your ability to perform your duties as Hokage. Kakashi-san has a need to know what's really going on!"

Reluctantly, both the Copy Ninja and the Slug Princess returned to their seats, though they still looked more childish than Naruto did whenever the blond over whom they were arguing got into one of his shouting matches with someone.

"Are you _truly_ ready to listen now?" Shizune received a pair of curt nods. "Now then. Kakashi-san, yes Tsunade-sama did grant Yuzuki-san legal custody over Naruto-kun. However, from what Jiraiya-sama told us when he returned here, Tsunade-sama felt like she didn't have any other options at the time."

"What does that mean, Shizune-san?" Kakashi asked. Shizune was about to answer, but received a look from Tsunade instructing her to wait her turn to continue speaking.

"When Naruto and Jiraiya returned to Konoha six weeks ago, they had an unregistered Hyūga woman present with them. The reason they came back so soon was because of an incident with the Kyūbi caused by Jiraiya attempting to loosen the Eight Trigrams Seal that keeps it contained, two days prior to their arrival. During those two days, Naruto spent a lot of time with this Hyūga, who Shizune-chan mentioned is named Yuzuki, and in that time, Naruto grew fond of Yuzuki-san. Actually, fond is an understatement. He is extremely protective of her." Kakashi gave Tsunade a look of confusion at that. Tsunade sighed and signaled for Shizune to continue.

"What Tsunade-sama means is that when Naruto-kun and Yuzuki-san bonded during those two days, the bond was so strong that we felt it was necessary to have them live together. There is a very delicate balance that we have to maintain, and if Naruto-kun feels like there is any threat to Yuzuki-san..."

"Naruto is _that_ attached to this woman?" Kakashi interrupted. Shizune and Tsunade nodded, so he asked the obvious question, "How?"

"We're still trying to figure that out, which is all the more reason why we're treading with caution when it comes to handling them," Shizune answered. "Anyway, Naruto-kun wasn't upset at all when he learned that Yuzuki-san would be taking over his training. On the contrary, he was enthusiastic about training under her."

"However, once the Chūnin Exams finish and Naruto returns home we will inform Yuzuki-san that you will be returning to your role as his primary teacher," Tsunade finished.

Kakashi remained silent for almost a minute as he collected his thoughts on the matter. He was wracked with guilt for his mishandling of Team Seven during the eight months they existed as a team. He truly felt terrible for not giving Naruto more attention during that time and his mistakes had almost cost him dearly. But now was not the time to drown in that guilt. There were much bigger issues which still needed addressing.

"How can we be sure Yuzuki is trustworthy?" he asked. "How do we know she won't use Naruto for her own personal gain, or for more sinister purposes?"

"Yuzuki-san nearly sacrificed herself to suppress the Kyūbi's chakra," Shizune explained. "She jumped right at Naruto-kun after the cloak reached four tails and received only minor injuries, and completely prevented Jiraiya-sama from sustaining injury. That single selfless act was enough to convince Jiraiya-sama that Yuzuki-san bears no ill intent towards us. And the fact Yuzuki-san is still alive after that incident means that on a subconscious level, Naruto-kun felt something towards her, something that was strong enough to force back the Kyūbi's influence on him."

"So you're saying that Yuzuki somehow has the ability to control the Kyūbi?"

"If only it were that simple," Tsunade lamented. "The issue with Naruto and Yuzuki's bond is worse than that. Much worse."

"Imagine that Naruto-kun has a lock on his emotions, and Yuzuki-san is the key to that lock," Shizune added. "If the key is turned at the wrong time and in the wrong way, it could open Pandora's Box. Two weeks ago, there was an incident involving Danzō and his unauthorized Root division. Three Root ninja, all of them unregistered, were caught spying on Yuzuki-san and Naruto-kun. Yuzuki-san was able to defeat all three of them by herself, however she sported a few minor injuries from the battle. And that's where we have our problem, Kakashi-san. Tsunade-sama and I saw how Naruto-kun reacted when he saw the bruises on Yuzuki-san. Had Yuzuki-san not been able to reassure him that she was fine, I strongly doubt those three ninja would still be alive."

Kakashi was again left stunned, and his mind raced in circles as it tried to process this information. "Yuzuki already holds that strong an influence over Naruto..." he whispered, unsure of what to feel about this information regarding his student.

"Which is why I'm reassigning you to surveillance duty," Tsunade said. "So far, we haven't been able to figure out how Yuzuki-san is able to influence our favorite brat like this. Your mission is to watch Yuzuki-san and find what everyone else here is missing. We need to know why Naruto chose to let her get so close to him in such a short time. A word of advice, Kakashi-san: _don't_ go looking for any genjutsu. We've thoroughly ruled out _that_ possibility."

Kakashi nodded and stood up to jump back out the window. But before he disappeared into the streets of Konoha, he turned his face to look at Tsunade with his normal eye and said, "If what you say is true, then I guess I really have failed Naruto..."

x-x

"Alright, everyone, listen up! The results of the written exams are here!" Shikamaru shouted over the loud audience of genin who were assembled in the Academy playgrounds.

"About time!" shouted someone from the crowd.

"Come on, Shikamaru, hurry and give us the details," Ino demanded.

"Agh...why did I get picked for this job?" Shikamaru grumbled. "This is such a drag..."

While Shikamaru explained that their had been more teams than necessary that passed the written exam, Ino took a moment to look around at the other teams. Rock Lee, Tenten and Neji were all listening closely to Shikamaru, well as closely as possible since Lee was raving about his flames of youth for the umpteenth time and Tenten had to attempt to quiet him down. There were many others there that she did not recognize as well, most of them from Suna, but she caught a glimpse of a mint-haired girl and her two teammates who were supposed to be representing Taki, and those three looked to be in a heated argument. Finally her eyes fell upon Team Eight and much to her surprise, she saw Naruto standing next to Hinata. The two of them were whispering to themselves and giggling, much to the annoyance of Shino, while Kiba looked like he was feeling left out.

Ino had to rub her eyes to make sure she was seeing clearly. If she didn't know any better, she would have sworn Naruto was _flirting_ with Hinata. But the odd behavior of Naruto wasn't the strangest part of the day for Ino. It was knowing that Naruto was even here in the first place.

"Hey Sakura-chan, why is Naruto over there? Shouldn't he be with us? I mean he is your teammate," Ino asked her best friend. Sakura turned to see where Ino was looking and sure enough, there was Naruto, looking right at home with his temporary teammates. Sakura was hit deep by watching the camaraderie he shared with Team Eight, something which had never been present in Team Seven. It was as though they were the team Naruto had been supposed to be assigned to all along.

"Maybe it would have been better that way…" Sakura whispered to herself.

"Huh? What was that, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura sighed and smiled. "It's nothing, Ino-chan. Anyway, Tsunade-sama thought it would be better to place Naruto with them for the exams. It's been like that ever since that Hyūga lady moved in with him."

"Hyūga lady? Wha—" Ino never got to finish that question before she had to dodge the stampede from her fellow competitors when Shikamaru shouted at them to get out. She and Sakura were nearly trampled by the mass of genin as they rushed towards the main gates of Konoha.

"Partial Expansion Jutsu! Human Wall!" Chōji just barely managed to shield his teammates from the horde and he yelled, "What are you guys doing? We gotta go!"

"Go? Go where?!" Ino yelled.

"Wow, Ino, was I the only one paying attention this time? There were too many teams that passed the written exam, so we have to race to Suna! The first thirty teams that make it there in three days or less get to move on to the next round!" Chōji yelled.

"What?!" Sakura shrieked. "Why didn't you speak up sooner, Chōji? Let's go! This is all your fault, Ino-pig!"

"Well forgive me for showing a little concern for Naruto, billboard brow!"

"Agh! We don't have time for this, you two!" Chōji yelled. He popped a food pill into his mouth and within seconds, grew to several times his normal size.

"Whoa, Chōji! You didn't have to eat one of those pills for this! You know that's dangerous!" Ino shouted.

Chōji ignored Ino and grabbed her and Sakura with his giant hands. "Don't worry, Ino. It was only a green pill, so it won't affect me as badly. This is the only way to catch up so hang on!" he yelled. And carrying the two girls like they were dolls, he ran towards the desert.

x-x

A few kilometers ahead of the pack, Naruto, Hinata, Shino, Kiba and Akamaru continued to navigate the forest at high speed. The four of them had gotten off to an excellent start. Team Eight's skills at tracking, honed through constant training in these forests gave them the home field advantage, and having Naruto there these past few weeks to push them farther had provided a significant increase to their speed and stamina.

Once he felt they had gained enough of a lead over the other teams, Shino held up his hand, signaling for the others to stop. He turned to Hinata and asked, "How are we looking, Hinata-san? Are there any other teams following us?"

Hinata activated her Byakugan for a few seconds to scan the area, then shook her head. "Negative, Shino-kun. We are the only team in my field of vision."

"Awesome!" Kiba shouted. "That means we can relax a little, right Akamaru?" His ninken partner whined in disagreement.

"Something here is not right," Shino observed, backing up what Akamaru was feeling. All of his teammates turned to him and gave him a look of concern; they had all learned that whenever Shino mentioned having a bad feeling, something bad was about to happen.

"What's up, Shino?" Naruto asked.

"As skilled as we are in tracking and evasion, we must remember that there were no less than three dozen other teams behind us when we passed through the gates of Konoha. It is...difficult to accept that out of all the other teams, none of them possess any dedicated trackers. Our current position has been gained too easily."

"Whatever." Naruto crossed his arms and puffed his chest out. "Bring them on! If they find us, we'll beat every last one of them!" he declared triumphantly. This earned a disapproving look from Shino and a few snickers from Kiba as they resumed their jumping across the tree branches.

"Come on, Naruto! You don't need to act tough just because Hinata is here," Kiba teased.

"K-Kiba-kun!" Hinata yelled, blushing furiously.

"Hey, watch it mutt!" Naruto shouted back at Kiba. "Don't you dare tease Hinata!"

"Oh, now you're getting protective over her. I see how it is," Kiba went on while smirking at Naruto.

"Why you—" Naruto was about to pick a fight with Kiba when Hinata and Shino pushed them down to the forest floor just as several dozen kunai were launched in their direction. He groaned as he pushed himself back to his feet and shouted, "What the hell was that?!"

"At least one of the other teams have made it ahead of us," Shino observed. "Apparently the team or teams in question have enough of a lead that they were able to take the time to set traps for their opponents. My feeling was not too far off the mark." He allowed the others to take a few moments to regain their bearings and then instructed them to continue, but with greater caution. They traveled in a single-file formation: Kiba and Akamaru took the front due to their enhanced senses, Shino was directly behind him as he was the team leader in the absence of Kurenai, then Hinata was positioned in the third spot for her Byakugan's visual range, and lastly Naruto was in the back to provide support with his Shadow Clones and keep other teams from catching up to them. However, Naruto quickly broke formation and traveled side-by-side with Hinata.

Shino instructed everyone to remain quiet while they kept their eyes focused on the surroundings, hunting for traps or enemy teams. Naruto, again, was not doing a good job of following that order, since every few seconds he kept glancing at Hinata, almost involuntarily.

 _'Hinata always manages to stay focused on the mission, huh?'_ Naruto thought to himself with a feeling of admiration for his friend, along with something else he couldn't place. _'She's really something.'_ Over the past six weeks, Naruto had felt strange when he was around Hinata, and it had all started when the two of them were first encouraged by Yuzuki to spend more time together. Yuzuki was enthusiastic about playing matchmaker, and had even gone so far as to invite Hinata over to Naruto's apartment for dinner a few times after intense training sessions, much to his and Hinata's mutual discomfort.

During those six weeks, Naruto had begun to look at Hinata in a new light.

 _'I used to think Hinata was plain, but she's actually pretty cute. I wonder...'_ Naruto mentally slapped himself before he could finish that thought. He couldn't let Hinata become a distraction. He still had to focus on the promise he'd made to Sakura. Furthermore, Naruto had claimed years ago that he loved Sakura, and a large part of him had trouble giving up that claim despite knowing that Sakura still only had eyes for Sasuke. _'Besides,'_ he added, _'there's no way Hinata could think of me that way...'_

But Naruto wondered if he did still love Sakura...or even if he had the right to actually call what he felt towards his pink-haired teammate love. He had always thought Sakura was pretty and had latched onto her hard in the Academy for her determination as well as being one of the few people who actually paid attention to him. Sakura had validated his existence in a time when almost the entire village rejected him. But was it really love that it made him feel towards her? Or was love supposed to be something stronger than that?

 _'Gah! All of these thoughts are crazy! I should just focus on finding that girl from my nightmare,'_ he finally decided, and set his emotional debate to the side. Yes, that was what he needed to do first before he could sort out his feelings. Well, that, and bring Sasuke back.

Suddenly, Naruto yelped, having set off a trap while he remained distracted by these thoughts. A kunai struck him in the shoulder, threatening to render his left arm unusable as it was buried deep inside. The injury caused Naruto to mistime his jump and he fell off the branch, plummeting to the ground. He ended up landing too hard on his feet, causing him to sprain his right ankle.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata cried out as she jumped down to the ground and held him up with her arms.

"Ow, ow, ow! That really hurt, y'know!"

Shino and Kiba were soon beside them and noticed the cause of Naruto's injuries wrapped around his hurt ankle. "Tripwire," Shino muttered, then shook his head. "Hinata-san, what is Naruto-san's condition?"

"I'm fine!" Naruto shouted before Hinata could answer. "I'll just bandage up my arm so we can go on!" He attempted to prove his point by standing up, but quickly tripped over himself when he tried to walk on his right foot. Hinata only barely caught him before he would have landed face-first onto the ground and drove the kunai even deeper into his shoulder.

"Stay still, Naruto-kun! You are hurt really bad!" Hinata chided him.

"But we need to keep moving, Hinata, or we won't make it to the next round!" Naruto complained.

"That is not necessarily true..." Shino muttered.

"We've been running faster than most of the other teams, Naruto!" Kiba pointed out. "Aside from the guys who are setting these traps, we're probably the closest ones to Suna. So stop complaining. We have time and we need to use it to fix you up." Akamaru barked in agreement. But the message still didn't sink in for Naruto.

"Guys, seriously, I'm fine! I'll already be healed before we get there, so don't worry about me!" He tried to stand up again...

...only for Hinata to force him back down.

"Stop it, Naruto-kun!" Hinata snapped at him. "You are not going anywhere until I attend to your injuries."

"You too, Hinata?" Naruto yelled back. "I said I'm fine! Just let me—"

"No! Stop it, Naruto-kun, just stop! For once in your life, Naruto-kun, stop acting like this! What you're doing right now isn't being selfless, it's being stupid. It's pointless for you to keep behaving this way, so please, just _stop!"_

Naruto was stunned speechless by Hinata's outburst. He couldn't remember Hinata ever getting angry at him, or anyone else for that matter; it just wasn't in her nature. But this outburst also struck a different chord with him. Her words sounded eerily similar to what the girl in his nightmare told him just before he allegedly died in the future.

A few seconds later, Hinata noticed that Naruto, along with Kiba and Shino were staring at her like she was crazy, and after realizing what she'd just done, took several steps backward, covered her mouth and blushed deeply. Her mortification soon gave way to panic. _'Oh no! I can't believe I said that to Naruto-kun! What will he think of me now?'_

Contrary to Hinata's fears, Naruto felt something akin to awe as he looked at her. This was a side of Hinata he had never seen before. Was this what it was like when she finally vented her anger? He couldn't know for sure, but part of him thought this release of her pent-up emotions had been long overdue and he couldn't help but like her more for it.

"Okay," Naruto finally said, resigning himself to treatment. "You're the boss, Hinata. Do what you want."

Hinata gasped, then questioned whether she had heard him correctly. Naruto was, beyond all doubt the most stubborn person she knew, and yet he had just surrendered himself to her judgment. "C-Could you say that again, Naruto-kun?"

"I said I'll let you do what you want, okay?"

If the situation wasn't so serious, Hinata would have been close to fainting after thinking about some of the naughtier implications of Naruto's submission. "O-Okay," a still blushing Hinata said as she hesitantly moved closer to Naruto. "I'm going to pull the kunai out first, okay Naruto-kun?"

"Okay. I trust you, Hinata." Hinata was about to wrap a hand around the embedded kunai when she heard Kiba snickering at them. She quickly turned around and glared at her teammates. Understanding that their continued presence here was unwelcome, Shino grabbed Kiba by the collar of his leather jacket and dragged him away as he complained about leaving while things between Hinata and Naruto were getting really entertaining.

Once they were alone, Hinata placed her hand on the handle, which made Naruto hiss in pain. She immediately let go and stammered out an apology.

"It's okay, Hinata," Naruto groaned. "I said I trust you, y'know."

Hinata nodded and placed her hand on the handle again. "It's in really deep. Getting it out is going to hurt a lot, Naruto-kun. I need you to stay still, okay?" Naruto nodded, but Hinata could see in his eyes that he was really scared. Hinata sighed and put her free hand in his, gripping it tightly. When she did, she noticed that Naruto seemed to relax a bit, even offering her a small smile.

"On three, Naruto-kun." Naruto nodded again. "One, two...three!" Hinata shouted, pulling on the handle with all of her strength. Naruto cried out in pain as she yanked the kunai out of his shoulder. He was still groaning and breathing heavily as Hinata grimaced at the blood and tissue that were on the blade before tossing it aside.

"Shh," Hinata cooed, cupping Naruto's head in her hands and stroking it softly. "It's okay, Naruto-kun. You're alright." Naruto weakly nodded; his body was still twitching from the pain caused by that kunai. "Now, I need to take off your jacket, okay? After I apply the bandages to your shoulder, I will use my Gentle Fist to close off some of your pressure points and open some others, rerouting your chakra flow so your body will repair the injury more quickly." Naruto nodded again. To Hinata's credit, she didn't blush at all as she unzipped Naruto's jacket and slid it off him as gently as she could. Instead, she smiled at Naruto. She knew how brave he was, but he was showing her one of his rare moments of vulnerability and she appreciated this show of trust more than he could know.

Hinata activated her Byakugan and observed the gash in Naruto's shoulder as she opened her ninja tool pouch and removed the bandage wrap. To her astonishment, Naruto's body was already starting to repair the injury. Most normal people would have needed weeks to recover from such an injury, but Naruto would likely be healed in less than an hour even without her help. Still, Hinata did what she told Naruto she would. She applied the wrappings to his shoulder and quickly struck several pressure points, making him hiss in pain, but a few moments later he smiled at her, letting her know that the pain had stopped.

 _'Naruto-kun truly is amazing,'_ Hinata reminded herself as she bent her knees, took off Naruto's sandal and struck the pressure points in his foot and lower leg, redirecting the chakra flow to soothe the pain he felt there as well. Satisfied that Naruto would recover quickly from this mishap, Hinata sat down and gently pulled Naruto down with her, resting his head in her lap.

"Give it about thirty minutes and you'll be able to move again. But you'll have to take it easy until we reach Suna, okay Naruto-kun?" Hinata said. Naruto nodded, but stayed quiet as she played with his spiky blong hair, lost in thoughts he wasn't sure he wanted to have.

 _'I've seen this before...no, I've_ felt _this before,'_ Naruto realized. _'But what is it? And when was it?'_ This scene gave him an intense feeling of déjà vu. His thoughts wandered back towards his nightmare, which his dark persona claimed was the memory of when he would die in the future. He thought back on the woman in that nightmare, who'd been crying over him and telling him how much she loved him. And here he was with Hinata, nestled in the same position as that nightmare as she hummed quietly and kept stroking his hair.

His mind exploded with the most important realization of his life.

 _'No way. It's not possible. But then why do I feel like this now? The girl from my nightmare...is it you, Hinata?'_

x-x

Nestled away on a small hilltop, Asuma Sarutobi and his secret lover Kurenai Yūhi had just arrived on the outskirts of the Fire Capital and were now performing recon on the Daimyō's castle. They had reached their destination under the cover of nightfall, with the moon high above them as they waited to strike.

"If his guards haven't altered their rotation schedules since the Guardian Shinobi Twelve disbanded," Asuma said, "the next swap should be in another hour. If we can't get an audience and have to break in, that will be our best chance to capture Daimyō-sama and learn whether or not Danzō is really controlling him." He then sighed deeply and leaned back against a tree, digging through the pockets of his flak jacket to retrieve his lighter and cigarettes.

Kurenai gave Asuma a harsh glare. "I thought you were going to quit smoking," she chided him.

"Don't you think this is all a bit strange?" Asuma changed the subject.

"What's strange, Asuma-kun? Hokage-sama gave us this mission and assigned it to the highest level of secrecy. Aside from herself and a few trusted others, no one knows we're here." Kurenai paused for a few seconds as she reviewed why the mission had been assigned. "Although, now that I have time to think about it..."

"Exactly." Asuma nodded and exhaled a puff of smoke away from Kurenai before continuing, "Even when I was at odds with Tō-san, I was never a fan of Danzō and his methods, but this investigation into the former councilman's activities is a little too sudden."

"All we really know is that it has something to do with when Naruto-kun returned six weeks ago."

"Yeah. There's a large rumor mill around that Hyūga woman who's living with the knucklehead now."

"Until Hokage-sama decides we need to know more information, that's all it is, a rumor mill. We're not supposed to question why we're on this mission, Asuma-kun."

"I know, Kurenai-chan. Guess we'll have to wait until we rough up our country's leader a bit and make him tell his side of the story," Asuma said with a small grin as he let his cigarette fall to the ground, and put it out with his sandal. An unsettling silence fell on them for several minutes as they continued to observe the samurai patrolling the outside of the castle before the former member of the Daimyō's personal guard decided to address the metaphorical elephant standing between him and his lover.

"Kakashi-kun was not at all happy with Tsunade-sama these past six weeks."

"Now what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Kurenai said harshly.

"Don't play dumb with me, Kurenai-chan. Every ninja in Konoha knows you've been letting Naruto and his roommate train with your team on most days."

"How is that a problem? Naruto-kun has been doing just fine under my supervision. I'd even go so far as to say he's learned more these past six weeks than he has during the entire eight months he was 'training', if you can call it that, under Kakashi-san."

"Watch what you say," Asuma said sternly. "Kakashi-kun called in a favor because of this whole fiasco, and quite frankly, he's not the only one who wants to know what Tsunade-sama was thinking."

"Why don't you mind your own business?" Kurenai snapped at him. "As I said, Naruto-kun is doing quite well under my tutelage. When he came back to Konoha, he was still terrible at genjutsu. He still has too much chakra to ever be able to cast genjutsu, but in just six weeks' time with me, he's learned how to detect and dispel B-rank genjutsu," she added with a smug look.

"I see how it is." Asuma glared at her before voicing his observation, "You're still mad that Naruto wasn't placed on your team last year."

"Mad? I am _furious,_ Asuma. How dare you stand there and try to lecture me on what's best for Naruto-kun when you saw all the good it did him when Sandaime-sama assigned him to Team Seven."

"You're trying to pin all the blame on Kakashi-kun. We both know he's not the only one at fault here. Last I recall, Naruto wasn't even your first choice for a student. He was a backup in case you didn't get your specialized tracking team."

"Maybe it wasn't solely Kakashi's fault, but who should get the rest of the blame doesn't matter right now. What matters is this, Asuma. Eight months. For eight fucking months, Naruto-kun worked like a man obsessed, trying to earn the acknowledgment of his teammates and teacher, and what happened?" Kurenai let the question hang in the air for a few seconds before continuing, "Naruto-kun nearly lost his life on several occasions for which he was sorely unprepared! The first time Team Seven received a C-rank mission, it escalated into an A-rank, and the only thing Kakashi bothered to teach Naruto-kun on that mission was the tree walking exercise. He didn't learn any new jutsu in those eight months aside from the Rasengan and Summoning Jutsu, two more high-level jutsu that shouldn't be in the hands of a genin. Those were shown to Naruto-kun by Jiraiya-sama, but even then,he had to learn how to use them on his own. He was never even shown how to use his Shadow Clones properly, Asuma! Last week was extremely frustrating for me due to all the time his roommate and I had to take to explain the concept of memory transfer and how it would improve his training. And let's not forget that one of the times Naruto-kun nearly died, it was at the hands of one of his own teammates!"

"So you would rather have subjected Kiba or Shino to those eight months?"

"Don't you dare play that card against me, Asuma! Tsume-sama or Shibi-sama would have set Kakashi-san straight a long time ago if Kiba-kun or Shino-kun had been on his team instead of Naruto-kun. You'd be looking at a completely different scenario for the night Sasuke defected. The only reason he got away so easily was because of the blind trust that Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan, bless their hearts, had in him. Kiba-kun and Shino-kun would not have let him escape!"

"Okay, that's enough!" Asuma declared, pulling Kurenai deeper into the woods. "You need to calm down before your ranting alerts every samurai in the Daimyō's employ to our presence here!"

It took Kurenai several seconds to realize how deeply clouded her thoughts were in her anger and exhale a long overdue breath. She kept shaking for almost a minute as she released the hold her pent-up negative emotions had on her.

"I...I am sorry, Asuma-kun," Kurenai said. "You're right, Naruto-kun wasn't my first choice for a student. I should have argued harder to have him on my team. I should have done more for him when I first became aware that Hinata-chan is infatuated with him. I didn't mean to suggest I'd rather have Kiba-kun or Shino-kun be neglected so Naruto-kun wouldn't be. And I...I know Kakashi-san is beating himself up pretty bad over this too. I just can't help asking what if things had been different, and Sandaime-sama had put Naruto-kun on my team."

Asuma sighed and rubbed Kurenai's shoulders. "So it wasn't just about Naruto, was it Kurenai-chan?"

Kurenai chuckled. "And here, I thought I was the only jōnin who paid enough attention to notice her feelings."

"Oh, please. After seeing Hinata push herself so hard in the Chūnin Exams because Naruto cheered for her, you'd have to be blind to not see how much she likes him."

"Like isn't a strong enough word for what she feels." Kurenai sighed and leaned into Asuma, urging him to hold her. Asuma wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her cheek, and she nuzzled his too. Once she managed to relax in his embrace, she asked, "Would it really have been so bad, Asuma-kun?"

"If Naruto had been on your team, Kurenai-chan, or if Hinata had been on his?" Asuma replied. "It's not the same thing."

"Does it really matter in the long run? They've both suffered so much. And it isn't just Naruto's skills that have improved over the past few weeks, you know." Kurenai reached under the bandages wrapped around her mesh armor blouse to retrieve a photo that was taken recently. She showed it to Asuma, who smiled at the image. It was a picture of Team Eight, similar to the one taken when they passed the True Genin Test and became full-fledged shinobi of Konoha. Hinata stood in the center, with Shino on her left and Kiba on her right, Akamaru at Kiba's side, and Kurenai behind them. However, Naruto was also in the picture, standing very close to Hinata. Naruto was scratching the back of his head while Hinata poked her index fingers together, and both of them were blushing.

And neither Asuma nor Kurenai had ever seen them smiling like they were in that picture.

"You and that other Hyūga did a good job with Naruto, and I'm sure he's grateful. But you have to let Kakashi-kun do his job too, Kurenai-chan. We're the ones who convinced Tō-san to take Kakashi-kun out of the Anbu and reassign him as a jōnin sensei because he was being consumed by guilt. But we're only making things worse for him right now."

"I know," Kurenai sighed again, "but still..."

"Hey, Naruto still has the other Hyūga there for him. She's taking care of the knucklehead now, so you don't have to worry so much about him, right?"

"I'll only stop worrying so much once Danzō is dead and his Root Anbu are disbanded for good," Kurenai spat.

"He'll be alright. He's taken quite a liking to her, though I've yet to meet her, so I can't understand why yet." But Kurenai went still in Asuma's arms after he said that. Asuma released her from his embrace and gently turned her around to look at him, only to see that her face looked grim.

"Kurenai-chan, what's wrong?"

Kurenai shook her head. "Asuma-kun, can I suggest something that's completely insane?"

"Well, I think our conversation has already taken some pretty crazy turns tonight, but sure. What's up?"

"It's about her, the woman who's living with Naruto-kun."

"What about her? Do you think Naruto is in any danger from her?"

"No. I don't think Naruto-kun has ever been safer in Konoha than he is with her. But..." Kurenai's voice trailed off, causing Asuma to grow more suspicious.

"Kurenai-chan, if you know something about her then we need to inform Tsunade-sama as soon as we return to the village."

Kurenai just shook her head again. "No...this can't be right. Even for us, this is too crazy."

"We're jōnin. Crazy is the norm for us," Asuma pointed out. The Genjutsu Mistress knew then that there was no way she could get out of revealing her suspicions.

"I've known Hinata-chan for years, Asuma-kun. She's like a little sister to me. But the thing is, when I observed Hinata-chan training with Naruto-kun and Yuzuki-san—that's her name, by the way—the two girls looked eerily similar. So similar, in fact, that if Hinata-chan had stood next to Yuzuki-san I doubt I would have been able to tell the difference between them."

Asuma laughed as he retrieved another cigarette from his pocket and lit it. "That's the Hyūga Clan for ya. Always falling into one of two extremes. If they're not insufferably timid, they've got a large stick lodged deep in their asses."

"I'm being serious, Asuma-kun. Look at this," Kurenai pleaded, pulling out two more photos from under her outfit.

"What's this?" Asuma wondered. The second picture Kurenai showed him was a much older one, a photo of Hinata's family taken before Hinata entered the Academy. Hiashi looked somewhat younger in that photo, and the woman standing next to him holding an infant Hanabi in her arms had the same midnight blue hair as Hinata.

"The woman there is Hinata's mother. You wouldn't believe the trouble I had to go through to find this picture. Hiashi-sama doesn't like to be reminded of his late wife...that's probably part of the reason why Hinata-chan was treated so horribly by her clan before Naruto-kun made him realize the error of his ways back at the Chūnin Exams last year. But that's beside the point I'm trying to make. Now look at the last photo," Kurenai said, showing Asuma the picture of Yuzuki taken during her registration as a Konoha ninja. The picture left Asuma stunned, causing his cigarette to drop out of his mouth.

"Whoa...now I _know_ I need to quit smoking," he muttered after connecting the dots and coming to the same conclusion as his lover.

Hinata, her mother, and Yuzuki all looked far too similar for the resemblance to be a coincidence. Yuzuki was definitely connected to Hinata in some way.

And for the rest of that night, they would be plagued with a lack of sleep as they tried to figure out how.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Of Spreading Darkness and Human Sacrifices**

When Naruto and Team Eight arrived at the gates of Sunagakure two days later, they were not surprised to discover that at least two other teams were already there. One of the teams had the mint-haired girl who seemed to get everyone's attention, and Naruto was getting a strange vibe from looking at her. However, his train of thoughts regarding that girl was quickly derailed when the old Team Ten, rechristened Team Asuma—Ino, Chōji, and their temporary member Sakura who was filling in for Shikamaru—all came into view.

"Oh, hey Sakura-chan! You guys made it!" Naruto congratulated his female teammate from the former Team Seven as he ran up to her.

"Yeah, but it wasn't easy. The entire path was littered with traps. Was that you?" Sakura asked, her voice turning dangerously low and an evil glint appearing in her eyes. "'Cause if it was, Naruto..."

Predictably, Naruto panicked: "N-no way, Sakura-chan! We had the same problems as you did! Tell 'em, guys!"

"Naruto-san is correct. Why, you ask? Because he fell into one of the traps himself," Shino confirmed.

"It is true, Sakura-san. We almost fell behind because that team got Naruto-kun hurt," Hinata piped in, her voice carrying an underlying anger. Her constant interactions with Naruto had many affects on her, one of which was that she was much quicker to come to his defense.

Sakura sighed and reined in her frustration. "Sorry, Naruto. Now that I think about it, some of those traps are way too sophisticated for you to have ever thought about laying for us." As usual, Sakura was saying all the wrong things about Naruto. However, this time Hinata wasn't going to let Sakura keep badmouthing him.

"Are you implying that Naruto-kun is stupid?" Hinata asked, her voice also tuning dangerously low.

"What? Of course not, Hinata! I know Naruto's good at trap-setting when he wants to be, but those things were _really_ advanced!" Sakura blanched and waved her hands in surrender from this uncharacteristic display of anger from her shy friend. "It's like..."

"The people who set them are far above genin level," Shino finished Sakura's thought, then adjusted his sunglasses. Neither he, nor anyone else besides Hinata paid any attention to Naruto as he dismissed himself from them, as they were already in a heated chat discussing some of the deadlier traps they encountered in the race.

"Why is Sakura-chan always so mean to me?" Naruto whined some distance away from the gates. Hinata walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, rubbing it gently.

"I don't think you're stupid at all, Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered. Unfortunately for her, several other teams arrived at the gates of Suna at that moment, stopping her from being able to say or do anything else to cheer up her love interest.

x-x

But fortunately for Hinata, Naruto had quickly brightened up when Temari arrived at the gates and informed the first group of teams that reached the gates of Suna where they would be staying for the night. Afterward, they were directed towards the most luxurious restaurant in Suna, where there was already a feast waiting for them.

Naruto ate like a starving horse once the dishes arrived. His shoulder wasn't giving him any more problems; it had healed completely before they arrived, and Hinata had offered to fix his jacket on the first night of the race before they arrived, which he'd gratefully accepted. As he ate, he tried to clear all thoughts not related to food out of his mind...

But one thought was still ruling over him, no matter how hard he tried to push it back.

There was no longer any doubt. He could feel the truth of his discovery in every bone in his body. Hinata was the girl from his nightmare. This knowledge shook Naruto deeply, and he had no idea how he was supposed to respond. All words and actions escaped him. And not only that, he had started to notice something even more significant: Hinata's feelings for him. Naruto had thought that everything would fall into place once he learned the identity of the nightmare girl, but now he was more confused than he'd ever been in his life. It was no longer so easy to focus on the goals which had once driven him: the promise to Sakura to bring Sasuke back to the village, earning the acknowledgment of the villagers and becoming...

 _'No, wait...that man, he said that I'll never become Hokage,'_ Naruto reminded himself. _'Why am I starting to believe him? And if I can't ever achieve my greatest dream, then what am I supposed to do? Damn it, why was he so vague?'_

There was also the girl from Taki to worry about. He had been getting a strange vibe from her ever since he first laid eyes on her. He felt something familiar about her. He couldn't put words to the feeling, but he thought that she was like him somehow.

Naruto again tried to shrug it off as he gathered more dishes to store up energy for tomorrow. He'd taken four different side dishes, along with three huge servings of yakizakana (grilled rockfish) and katsu-sando (breaded cutlet-sandwiches), ten bowls of miso ramen that had only been served because he was there, and finally a salad at Hinata's insistence. But all his food-gathering did was send his thoughts back towards Hinata. _'Why does Hinata have this effect on me? If it was Iruka-sensei or Ero-sennin trying to force me to eat some of this stuff, I'd never listen!'_ He didn't mind most of the other dishes, but anything with fresh vegetables was something he avoided like the plague unless Hinata or Yuzuki insisted he eat.

And then there was the fox. Naruto was actually feeling concerned for the fox since that night when he encountered his dark side in his mindscape. After his dark side pummeled the Kyūbi, it had not tried to speak to him, nor had he ever wandered into his mindscape during sleep. The lack of presence from the Kyūbi should have been a relief, but instead it worried him greatly.

Naruto wolfed down his meals with inhuman speed and quickly dismissed himself from the table his teammates were seated at, giving thanks for the meal as he left. Hinata tried to follow Naruto, but he told her he needed some time alone, and spent the next two hours wandering the streets of Suna, his mind at war with itself as he tried desperately to make sense of everything that had happened since his return to Konoha six weeks ago.

 _'If what my dark side said is true, then everything I've ever told myself is a lie. I have to break my promise to Sakura-chan, I have to give up on my dream to become Hokage...gah! Why do I believe him, anyway?'_

 _ **'Because deep down, you know that what you believed is a lie. Empty promises sweetened by honeyed words,'**_ his dark side said. A second later, Naruto was pulled into his mindscape where, to his surprise and not-surprise, the fox was still absent.

"Why?" Naruto snapped at the dark persona. "Why didn't you tell me from the start it was her?"

 **"Would you have believed me if I had?"** Dark Naruto countered. **"You can't understand someone's feelings when they're directed at you. You can't understand your own feelings until they're thrown right into your face. Tell me, Naruto, how would you have reacted if I'd told you from the start that Hinata is the girl who held you in her arms as you died?"** Naruto tried to say something, anything to rebuff the accusation, but the look on his face told Dark Naruto everything that needed to be known. Naruto was forced to admit that he wouldn't have reacted so well if he was confronted with the truth directly.

All he could respond with was a simple "That's not fair!"

 **"Don't give me excuses. You're the living proof that life isn't fair. Or is your death in the future not a big enough reminder of that?"** Again, Naruto could not find the words to respond to his dark half. The mindscape went silent for several minutes before he could ask the questions Dark Naruto expected to hear.

"So you're telling me that I have to just give up on everything? Sasuke, my promise to Sakura-chan, being acknowledged, ALL OF IT?!"

 **"Don't put words in my mouth. I never said that. Well, at least not all of that. But yes, you need to give up on Sasuke and Sakura. We both know your reasons for making that promise to Sakura are just another part of the lies which make up your life. Sakura only ever had eyes for Sasuke, and nothing can make that change. She never gave a damn about you. The friendship you and her have now is based solely around the Last Uchiha. If Sasuke is ever brought back, she'll run back into his arms and forget about you."**

"That's not true! I know Sakura-chan cares about me! She may love that jerk, but I'm still her friend!"

 **"Keep telling yourself that, Naruto. Keep trying to believe the lie."** Dark Naruto silenced himself for a few moments for his words to cause greater conflict in his light side. Then he continued: **"As for Sasuke, I'm gonna repeat to you what Ero-sennin said. Sasuke is cut from the same cloth as Orochimaru. He's a traitor, through and through. He only cares about power and will kill anyone and everyone he needs to in order to get it. And I can prove it, too."** Before Naruto could try to reject those words, he found a scroll suddenly materializing in his hands. It was the scroll Sasuke had left for Yuzuki on the night Yuzuki's timeline collapsed on itself, memorized by Dark Naruto. As Naruto read it over a dozen times, his eyes flashed with many negative emotions: shock, disbelief, sadness, and anger. But it was the sadness which was strongest in him.

"Why are you doing this to me?!" Naruto screamed, unaware that he had already left his mindscape. "Why? I can't take this! Leave me alone and get out of my head!"

"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" a gentle voice, far too gentle to have belonged to his dark side, asked. Naruto looked up to see Yuzuki standing in front of him. During the entire time he'd been out, he hadn't realized he had wandered all the way towards the gates of Suna.

"Yu-Yuzuki?" Naruto stammered.

Yuzuki smiled at Naruto, but it was her sad smile. "I am sorry I could not arrive here sooner. I had to ask Tsunade-sama just before she left Konoha if she would extend my leave from patrol duty so I could cheer you on for the exams." She had originally intended to congratulate Naruto for passing the first stage, but when she saw how bad he looked she immediately pulled him into her arms. "Please tell me what's wrong, Naruto-kun."

"I-I can't," Naruto protested, shaking his head and fidgeting in her embrace. Yuzuki quickly realized that he was on the verge of breaking down and was only holding his tears back because they were still in a public setting.

"Shhh...just hold on a little longer, okay?" Yuzuki whispered. She felt Naruto nod and did not waste any time in rushing him to one of the smaller hotels. However, once she got into the lobby she started receiving strange looks from everyone working there, due to Naruto still having his face buried in her jacket. But instead of blushing, she glared at them, emitting an angry aura and focusing it on the employees. Most backed away, but one of the clerks who recognized her as a Hyūga dared to challenge her.

"I'm sorry, Hyūga-sama, but we don't allow children at this hotel. You will have to go somewhere else."

Yuzuki activated her Byakugan and glared harder at the offending clerk. "Naruto-kun is not a child. He is a Konoha shinobi who is here for the Chūnin Exams. You can either give us our room key, or you can explain to Kazekage-sama why you refused service to comrades from an allied nation," she growled at the clerk. It wasn't so much the promise of severe punishment as it was the look in Yuzuki's eyes that made the clerk fold. He quickly relinquished a key and fled after stammering out a weak reply telling her to enjoy her stay. Rather than walk up to the room, Yuzuki, with her Byakugan still active and Naruto still in her arms performed a Body Flicker to arrive outside the door in an instant. Once they were inside, she let go of Naruto only long enough to take off her backpack and apply a barrier seal, locking and soundproofing the room.

"We're alone now, Naruto-kun," Yuzuki said once the room was sealed, leading Naruto to the bed and sitting down on the edge. "You don't have to hold back anymore. Just let it all out." Naruto immediately collapsed into her lap and bawled his eyes out.

"I-I don't want to, Yuzuki!" Naruto wailed. "Make these feelings stop! I don't want them! It hurts too much! Please make them go away!"

 _'What's going on, Naruto-kun?'_ Yuzuki silently wondered; she had absolutely no idea what was happening with Naruto and he wasn't going to tell her anytime soon. _'What kind of feelings are you getting from your other self? How hard is he making the merging process for you?'_

But as Naruto kept crying late into the night despite her best efforts to comfort him, there was no way Yuzuki could figure out just how bad things were with what she knew about this situation, or how much worse they would get...

x-x

The yūrei version of Dark Naruto retreated into his mindscape and grimaced at the scene. Every time his living self's eyes changed, they only stayed red and black for a maximum of eight seconds before returning to normal.

 **"This is taking too long,"** he thought aloud. **"The eyes don't stay that way long enough. I need a bigger act."**

"Is this all just a game to you?!" the light side of the yūrei yelled, still bound by chains inside Kurama's former cage. Dark Naruto shrugged.

 **"More or less. You just can't see the bigger picture. Of course, that's not actually surprising, y'know. It's like I said before, you never loved Hinata,"** Dark Naruto taunted.

"It's you who doesn't love her," Light Naruto shot back. "Love isn't supposed to be a negative emotion. It's supposed to be selfless. But you're being entirely selfish. You're obsessed with her, lusting after her, only acting for your own benefit without giving a damn about what she wants. That's not love. And when I get outta here, I'll prove how wrong you are."

 **"Still in denial, I see. Not like it matters. The only reason I'm even bothering with you is because seeing you suffer is entertaining. Speaking of which, why don't you take a look at your hand?"**

"What are you…" Naruto began, but his voice failed him when he got a better look at his left hand...or rather, where his hand was _supposed_ to be. It was gone, as if it was...

 **"Erased from existence,"** Dark Naruto finished the unspoken thought. **"You're starting to catch on more quickly."**

"What did you do?!"

 **"Stop blaming me for everything bad that happens. It wasn't me who did that to you, Naruto. It was your younger self. His mind is changing and as it does, the timeline changes with it. As your, or should I say** _ **my**_ **younger self becomes more like me, he will abandon his stupid ideals and dreams. He'll forget about that ridiculous promise to Sakura. He'll dismiss the thought of trying to save Sasuke from the darkness. But most importantly, he'll give up on his pathetic dream to become Hokage. He'll move on to more grand things soon. Once he realizes that Hinata's happiness and peace in this world are the only things that matter, he'll realize that the things he believes in now just won't work out. Konoha, and the rest of the world will pay the ultimate price for scorning them."**

Realization struck Naruto as his dark self hinted at a more sinister plan for the whole world. "Do you even know what you're saying? You'll be even worse than Sasuke was when he destroyed the world in our future!"

Dark Naruto laughed. **"You won't hear me deny that. I am unfit to lead this world towards what it needs. Despite my feelings towards Hinata, I am still mostly your negative emotions. But I never said it would be me who rules over everything."**

Naruto's eyes went wide with horror. "What are you planning to do to Hinata?"

 **"Don't worry, I'm not gonna harm her. I would never harm her. But she'll need to transcend this broken world before any real changes can happen."**

"You bastard! What the hell are you gonna do to Hinata?!" Naruto screamed, trying in vain to crush the bars of his cage so he could get free and wrest control from his rampant dark side.

 **"It's simple, really."** Dark Naruto walked over to his counterpart's cage and dug his elongated fingernails into his counterpart's chin. His smile was pure evil and the sparkle in his red and black eyes promised only destruction. **"I'm gonna give her the world. No one will ever dare to oppose my precious goddess."** And then he vanished, laughing maniacally as Naruto kept screaming, praying that his desperate pleas would reach Hinata and get her to stop this.

x-x

 _The next day..._

Temari was assigned as the head proctor for the second stage. She explained the rules of the survival test, which were similar to when the Konoha 11 took the exam last year in Training Ground 44 aka the Forest of Death: each team was given either a Heaven or an Earth scroll, and in order to advance they would need to possess at least one copy of both scrolls and make it to the tower located in the center of the desert within three days, where Gaara and the Suna Exploration Group were monitoring the exams. Failure to acquire both scrolls within the allotted time, opening the scrolls separately or before arrival at the central tower, or losing one or more team members would all result in failing the test.

Naruto and Team Eight started off fairly well; well, as well as they could given the events of last night. Naruto had been dragging his feet all morning and his teammates were wondering what happened to him last night when Yuzuki dropped him off at the hotel. They were able to locate one of the few oases in the Demon Desert quickly, staying only as long as needed to maximize their water supply. They quickly figured out that these oases would be hotspots for combat between the other teams, since the amount of resources available was far more limited than it had been back in the Forest of Death. After a few minutes of resting and stocking up on supplies, they began to focus on locating other teams and the central tower.

"Hey Hinata, can you see with your Byakugan where we're supposed to go?" Kiba asked.

Hinata shook her head. "The central tower is out of my range from our current position, Kiba-kun. However, we have another, more immediate problem. There is a sandstorm approaching from the west," she replied.

"This sandstorm is not a natural occurrence," Shino quickly observed. "The proctors or perhaps Kazekage-sama must have created it to further test the participants of this exam."

"We can't go out into that!" Naruto whined. "We'll be skinned alive if we try!"

"That might not necessarily be true," Shino objected. Then, turning to Hinata, he asked, "Hinata-san, how would the storm affect your visibility with the Byakugan?"

"With proper eye protection, the storm will cut my visual range in half," Hinata explained. "Without that protection, I'll be blind."

Shino nodded. "We can make do with reduced sight. Kiba-kun, how would your tracking senses hold up?"

"Not very good, Shino. Me and Akamaru won't be able to tell what we're supposed to be sniffing out too well." Akamaru gave a low whine in agreement with Kiba.

"Wait, hold up a moment!" Naruto interrupted, protesting Shino's plan of action. "You're not suggesting we actually go out into that thing, are you?"

"I spoke with some of my clansmen who had taken the Chūnin Exams in Suna before and acquired protective gear for all of us," Shino explained, unfurling several sealing scrolls which contained the aforementioned gear. "That having been said, Naruto-san, I would ask you to think about this. Knowing the danger of traveling in the middle of a sandstorm, who in their right mind would choose to do so? With the proper protection, while our team would still be hindered, we would not be as greatly hindered as other teams who might attempt this course of action. We could use the sandstorm to our advantage."

Naruto's eyes grew wide for a few moments. Once the explanation sunk in, he was boasting his trademark grin. "That's brilliant, Shino!"

"It is still risky, Naruto-kun," Hinata chimed in. "Even with the protection, our senses are still hindered. My Byakugan will only be able to see half as far in these conditions, and the margin of error is greater than normal," she reminded her team.

"And my kikaichū have not been adapted to the harsh environment; once they leave my body, they would only survive for a few minutes," Shino added. "This forces me to reserve them for combat. I would not be able to compensate for your reduced sight."

"Neither can I!" Kiba reminded everyone. "I told you this will foul up my sense of smell! Right, Akamaru?" His ninken partner barked angrily in reply.

"Agh!" Naruto yelled, gripping his head. "This arguing isn't gonna get us anywhere! Shino, you said we can still make do with what we have, right? And that everyone else will probably have it even worse?" Shino nodded in the affirmative at both questions. "You said we should use this to our advantage, Shino. So why aren't we?"

"As Hinata-san pointed out, Naruto-san, even with the proper precautions this plan is risky, even foolhardy at best," Shino said. "Why, you ask? Because we would be heavily reliant on Hinata-san to guide us through the storm and help us to attack swiftly and decisively. Our success in these exams will rest largely on her shoulders."

All eyes turned to Hinata, who started to sink in on herself and poke her index fingers together. The thought of being singularly responsible for whether or not her team, and also Naruto, succeeded or failed was nerve-wracking and she hated having to think about it. She felt her self-confidence begin to plummet. "Um...I don't know if..."

"You can do it, Hinata," Naruto gently interrupted her, his voice turning softer than usual.

Hinata's eyes widened and she turned towards him, looking at him with a surprised expression. "But, Naruto-kun, I..."

"Don't worry! I know how strong you are! We've been training almost all the time together for the past few weeks just for this moment! You've grown so much since the last exams we took!" Naruto slowly walked up to Hinata and caressed her cheek, coaxing her to look him in the eyes. As his sky blue met her pale lavender, both of them thought it would be too easy to get lost in the feelings conveyed by their eyes. "You risked everything to help me back then. You're the reason I made it as far as I did last time, y'know. You didn't give up on me, so don't give up on yourself. This time we'll be promoted together, okay?"

"Naruto's right, Hinata!" Kiba shouted at her a few seconds later. "You've got this in the bag!" Akamaru barked wildly in agreement.

"I concur with our teammates, Hinata-san," Shino added, giving Hinata a brief nod. "You have shown the greatest improvement out of all of us since our last exams. I have complete confidence in you."

Hinata wanted to burst into happy tears after hearing their words of encouragement, especially Naruto's. Naruto was always kind to everyone once he got to know them; it was just who he was. But for Hinata, it was so much more than that. Naruto had inspired her so long ago to start believing in herself when no one else was willing to believe in her. Their limited interactions in the past had helped her to push herself harder and chase away her self-doubt, one small step at a time. And now he was doing it again, with help from her teammates. He was cheering her on once more, but this moment was so much more powerful in her mind than the last time they were in the exams. Why? Because the last time he had encouraged her to stand her ground and fight, everyone heard him speak, but this time, the moment was more intimate. This time, she felt from the bottom of her heart that his words were for her and only her to hear. And as always, his words were exactly what she needed to hear.

"Naruto-kun...Kiba-kun...Shino-kun..." Hinata's voice trailed off for a few more precious moments as she turned back to face Naruto, who gave her his soft, true smile, and she affirmed the morale boost her friends wanted her to have. Her Byakugan flared to life and her eyes lit up with a fire of determination. "Yes! I will do it for sure this time!"

"Alright then! Let's do this!" Naruto shouted, then grabbed one of the sealing scrolls and tossed it to Hinata before channeling chakra into another to unseal the goggles and bandages that were contained inside. She gave him a sharp nod.

And as Hinata put on her own protective gear to shield her face and hands from the incoming sandstorm, she thought to herself, _'This is not just for my sake, but for Naruto-kun and my teammates as well. I will succeed this time and they will all be there to watch me! I won't lose!'_

x-x

"All of the teams that completed the endurance race from Konoha to Suna have arrived at the Demon Desert," Temari reported to Tsunade, her little brother and their entourage in the central tower about an hour after the second stage started.

The two Kages remained silent as they mulled over Temari's report; Tsunade's hands were clenched into tight fists, while Gaara's were pressed against his face, concealing it from view. Neither were able to shake the bad feeling they had about these exams; to make matters even worse, Tsunade had won big at a local poker game last night. They kept wondering if something had been forgotten or overlooked in the rush to move the exams a month ahead of schedule.

"Are you okay, Gaara?" Temari asked.

"I don't like this," Gaara groaned. "Including myself, there are three jinchūriki in close proximity to each other. If that isn't an invitation for the Akatsuki to attack, I don't know what is."

"After the move Itachi made in Konoha last week, it's unlikely that they'll double down on their bets," Tsunade objected, but Temari and Gaara both sensed that she didn't believe her own words. "It's too soon for them to push their luck and attack again."

"And that disturbs me a great deal, Hokage-dono. Naruto was not Itachi's real target last night." Tsunade's bodyguards and some members of the Suna Exploration Group gave Gaara a questioning look, prompting the Kazekage to elaborate: "Naruto Uzumaki and his roommate Yuzuki were located at a training ground found some distance outside the village when Itachi arrived. But rather than attack them while they were alone, Itachi instead chose to bypass the sensing barrier and strike at a different target. Why?"

"Perhaps he meant to ambush the pair when they returned?" someone from the Suna Exploration Group suggested.

"That doesn't sound right at all," came the objection from Shikamaru. "It makes no sense for Itachi to infiltrate the village if he knew Naruto wasn't inside it when he arrived."

"I have to agree with Shikamaru-kun," Shizune added, speaking to them through the battery-powered television positioned near the south wall. She had been required to remain in Konoha to run the hospital in Tsunade's absence, and was transmitting her message to the Demon Desert via satellite dish. "All of the Anbu who were assigned to keep Danzō confined to his house were in serious condition when we found them. Not only that, but when our Anbu investigated the scene they found that ten of Danzō's Root Anbu were being cremated by black flames inside the elder's private garden. I've never seen anything like what happened in there. There was nothing left in the ashes that could have been used to identify Itachi's victims."

"But that still leaves the question of why Danzō was targeted instead," Tsunade pointed out. "The attack was highly irregular and isn't explainable by what we currently know."

"Whatever the reason, Danzō was rendered comatose by the Tsukuyomi," Shizune went on. "Tsunade-sama has neglected to treat him thus far, Gaara-sama; she feels the longer Danzō is kept in that state, the more time we'll have to safely remove him before he causes more damage."

"Itachi could have done us a favor and killed him outright, Shizune-chan!" Tsunade snapped at her assistant, and punched one of the walls. "Would've saved us a lot of trouble if he'd ended that bastard's life right there!"

Gaara looked at Tsunade with an incredulous expression. "Forgive me, Hokage-dono, but are you currently experiencing what some people would call a 'blonde moment'?"

"Excuse me?" Tsunade snapped at him, ignoring the snickers from a few members of the Exploration Group only because attacking them for laughing at her would have triggered an international incident.

"You know full well that if Itachi had killed the elder, it would have brought a war down upon us," Gaara explained. "You would have been forced to expend a large amount of resources launching an operation to hunt him down, leaving Konoha vulnerable to attack. And you were the one who informed me that Konoha cannot currently afford to fight a war, just a few days ago. As it stands, Itachi did you a favor by leaving Danzō incapacitated for the time being. So I would advise against pushing your luck, Hokage-dono," the Ichibi jinchūriki said sternly. "Danzō was foolish enough to think he could take on Itachi. He paid a price, even if it wasn't heavy enough."

"And don't even try to say what you were about to say, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune snapped back at her mistress, sensing that Tsunade was about to say something stupid and turn this into a full-on shouting match. The Slug Princess reluctantly acquiesced.

"So how is Itachi's attack on Danzō related to this bad feeling you're having now, Gaara?" Temari asked after a long stretch of silence allowed some of the tensions in the room to be released.

"By any chance does it have something to do with the team from Takigakure?" Shikamaru asked. Tsunade and Gaara both gave him a questioning stare that asked him how he already figured it out without even taking a look at the registration files for the Taki-nin.

"What makes you ask that, Shikamaru?" one of Tsunade's bodyguards, a jōnin by the name of Raido Namiashi, inquired.

"While I was administering the written exam, I paid close attention to the body language of all of the shinobi in attendance," the lazy Nara explained. "The mint-haired girl, Fū, seemed normal enough at first glance even though her behavior was a little too similar to Naruto's, but the way her two teammates carried themselves suggests they are far above genin level. Shino also ran into me last night while he was searching for Naruto. He informed me that he sensed something peculiar about Fū's chakra during dinner, and also informed me of his suspicions regarding her teammates. If I had to guess, the other members of Team Fū are actually jōnin or Anbu disguised as genin who were assigned by the leader of Taki to protect Fū from the Akatsuki."

"Shikamaru is correct about the actual ranks of Fū's teammates," Gaara said, handing out the files they had on Kegon and Yōrō. "It should be too soon for the Akatsuki to act again. But I have made my own observations of the team from Taki, and I must wonder, was Itachi acting on behalf of the Akatsuki when he infiltrated Konoha eleven days ago, or was he following his own agenda?"

"And what makes you think Akatsuki will strike again at these exams, Gaara-sama?" Shizune asked the question that was haunting everyone inside the conference room.

It was with an ominous tone that Gaara answered, "Fū of Takigakure is the third jinchūriki present inside the Demon Desert."

Before anyone could voice their concerns over Shikamaru and Gaara's observations, a large explosion occurred close enough to shake the foundation of the central tower.

x-x

Elsewhere in the Demon Desert, the subject of the topic which had the leadership of Konoha and Suna close to panic was stretching and yawning loudly, expressing severe boredom as her shoulder-length mint hair blew slightly in the desert breeze and her orange eyes scanned the horizon.

"Either of you know where we're supposed to go?" Fū asked her teammates.

"We should be heading northeast," one of Fū's jōnin bodyguards, Kegon advised. "We started at one of the southern gates, but with the sandstorm approaching from the west, our path to the central tower needs to be altered accordingly."

"Are you sure it was a good idea to insist on entering these exams?" the other jōnin in disguise, Yōrō, questioned. "If your...condition is revealed, you'll be in grave danger. We don't have any backup from our village, and we have no reason to trust Suna or Konoha to lend us aid."

"You two are such worrywarts," Fū tried scolding her teammates. "By the time any bad guys figure out who we are, we'll have already beaten these tests and be long gone. So can we just focus on getting an Earth scroll?"

"Later," Kegon objected. "This arguing has already cost us time and that sandstorm is moving faster than we expected. We'll need to wait out the storm. I would advise using our Water Style ninjutsu to soften the sand enough to mold it into a makeshift hut or some other structure that will offer us shielding until the storm passes on."

Fū stomped her foot into the sand and pouted. "It'd be much more fun to just fly into the storm, but whatever. I'll go along with your plan for now, but I really don't like having to wait." She walked off several meters, watching the approaching storm while Kegon and Yōrō used the water barrel they brought along to power a low-rank Water Style technique that inundated their surroundings. However, they were interrupted during their task by a loud blast somewhere closer to the center of the Demon Desert.

"Whoa!" Fū shouted, her eyes lighting up with a combination of curiosity and excitement. "What was that?"

"Probably just a battle between some of the other teams who managed to get closer to the tower before the sandstorm kicked up," Yōrō said in a dismissive tone. Fū nodded and walked back over towards her teammates to assist them in their task, seeing that the sandstorm would be on them at any moment.

x-x

And with the sandstorm came the fight Fū was craving. Concealed in the blinding sand, Team Eight observed the oddly shaped structure hastily crafted to shield the targets whose identities were now being verified by Hinata's Byakugan.

"The team from Taki is inside that hut," Hinata announced to her teammates. "I can also confirm that they possess a Heaven scroll."

"We need to stay on guard with this team; they are far more powerful than the others," Shino advised. "Kiba-kun, you and I will be going on the offensive. Naruto-san, stay back and protect Hinata-san; she is the key to our success in these exams."

"Yeah yeah, you've said it enough Shino," Naruto grumbled, though there was honestly no other place he'd rather be in this desert than fighting by Hinata's side.

"Then let's go." Kiba and Shino slowly approached the hut and each withdrew a single kunai and explosive tag from their ninja tool pouches, meaning to take advantage of the storm and ambush the opposing team. They attached the tags to the kunai and ignited them with their chakra, then threw them at the entrance...

...but before the kunai reached their target, they were blown back at Team Eight by a harsh gale, forcing Kiba and Shino to dive out of the way. They barely avoided getting caught in the explosion.

"What the hell was that?" Kiba shouted after the ringing in his ears died down. A moment later, he was picked up in the wind and thrown back several dozen meters. Shino attempted to locate their attacker and engulf him/her in his kikaichū as Akamaru ran off to find his owner, however he was also effortlessly thrown away after being struck by a blinding powder.

Back where she had been left by her teammates, Hinata observed the fight with her Byakugan and her face showed a mixture of emotions, chief among them being worry for her teammates. The ambush had completely backfired on Kiba and Shino and now she was seeing a strange red chakra signature moving in towards them.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" Naruto asked. "What happened to Kiba and Shino?"

"Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself?" a voice that was definitely not Hinata's answered. Before Hinata or Naruto could react, the owner of that voice slammed a hard kick directly into the back of Naruto's head, sending him face-first into the sand. Naruto's wrappings fell off his face and he coughed up sand as he rolled onto his back to regain his bearings and find his attacker.

"Ow..." Naruto groaned while Hinata helped him back up. "Whoever you are, you're gonna pay for that!"

"You're taking this too seriously," the other voice, who sounded way too chipper, responded. A few seconds later, its owner finally became visible in the sand. Naruto looked up to find a mint-haired girl hovering over them, covered in a chakra cloak that was much too similar to his in the times where he would lose control over the Kyūbi's chakra, only the two tails of her cloak were being used as wings to keep her in the air. She was wearing a sleeveless white midriff shirt and apron skirt covering a set of fishnet shorts and mesh armor, along with white armlets and an orange clip in her hair.

"No way..." Naruto whispered to himself, feeling as though a lightning bolt had just coursed through every vein in his body. "She's like me..."

"Like...like you?" Hinata trembled from the words, knowing Naruto hadn't intended for her to hear his soft whisper; she already knew about Naruto's burden though he hadn't yet confided in her with his closely guarded secret. "W-What do you mean, Naruto-kun?"

While Hinata waited for an answer, Fū remained as still as possible in the howling winds, feeling something similar to what Naruto felt upon getting a better look at the black-clad blond. There was something familiar about him, something that felt too much like herself. A feeling only she could know. But how was this possible? How could the boy have the same 'condition' as her?

 _'Could it be that there are others like me out there?'_ Fū wondered. _'I thought I was the only one who carried this burden...'_

Of the three, Hinata was the fastest to recover from the shock of this encounter. Her adversary, for whatever reason was still hesitating to act, and while she still waited for Naruto's answer, her training kicked in, demanding that she take advantage of the opening left for her. "Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!" she shouted, launching a blast of compressed air at Fū. Despite the chakra cloak protecting her, the ranged attack from Hinata struck Fū hard in the abdomen and sent her tumbling away in the storm.

"Whoa, Hinata!" Naruto shouted, having been pulled out of his trance by Hinata's attack. "That looked like it hurt!"

"Just a bit," Fū answered before Hinata could, coughing a little as she flew back towards them. "Your friend there is pretty good. I haven't had this much fun in a fight in ages!"

"Yeah, she's awesome." Hinata still couldn't stop herself from blushing at Naruto's praise despite being exposed to it frequently since Naruto's training trip ended. "But you're pretty good too, whoever you are. You sure hit me pretty hard just a minute ago; my head is still ringing from that kick."

For a moment, Fū's expression changed to one of sadness. "The name's Fū, and it's a shame we had to meet the way we did. I was hoping we could be friends."

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and you shouldn't go hating us just yet, Fū! At least not until after we kick your ass!" Naruto shouted, forming the Clone hand seal. A second later, several copies of Naruto stood in front of him and Hinata, and most of them rushed in to attack.

"I could say the same to you, Naruto!" Fū taunted back with a grin on her face as she weaved between the clones and dispatched most of them with a single punch to each. The remaining clones quickly figured out she was holding back and started pressing harder, while the original processed the information on Fū's fighting style that his clones gathered for him and tried to think of alternate tactics to counter her.

Once the last clone dispelled, Naruto knew for sure he would not be able to defeat his opponent alone. Sure, he could use some of the Kyūbi's chakra to enhance himself; his training with Jiraiya had allowed him to control two tails' worth of chakra; but, Hinata was still right next to him and he worried both about hurting her if he lost control, and what her reaction would be if he even used the chakra to fight in the first place. Resorting to using that chakra was definitely not an option. No, he would have to fight smarter somehow if he wanted to win. He also knew he had to beat this girl quickly, before either she decided to use her own chakra cloak again or her teammates arrived.

When Fū charged at Hinata, Naruto decided he would have to play the support role in the fight; his friend was way better than him at taijutsu and had the best sight out of anyone in this sandstorm. Naruto summoned several more clones, who tried to force Fū to stay in Hinata's range so Hinata could take her down with the Gentle Fist. However, as the battle progressed it became evident to Naruto that something was wrong. Fū was much faster and way more skilled at taijutsu than most of the kunoichi he'd met; for a moment, he thought Fū would even give Yuzuki a lot of trouble, and Yuzuki was by far the best taijutsu expert he knew. He was also starting to feel a premonition and was struggling to figure out a way to take Fū down and get Hinata out of danger before it struck.

Hinata, for her part was also struck by this sense of foreboding that came on them. Part of her wanted to run, but Fū was too fast for them to outrun, and like Naruto, she was desperate to find a way to defeat Fū quickly and get away from this bad feeling. Eventually, one of Naruto's clones got Fū to slip up and give Hinata the chance she needed. Hinata moved in to strike with the Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms, but midway through her charge, she fell on her knees and gripped her head as hellish images flashed before her mind's eye.

"Ahhhh!" Hinata screamed in pain before collapsing into the sand.

x-x

Hinata awakened just moments later, only to find that her world had shifted. The sandstorm had disappeared, only to be replaced by the blackest night, with the only light source being the blood red moon in the sky. There was no longer any sand to be seen anywhere; the desert had been replaced by a wasteland, littered with thousands of corpses.

"Wha-what is this?" Hinata asked herself. She was feeling so lost and scared and tried to run away from this nightmare, only to trip over a body after just a few seconds. She scrambled to pick herself up and continue running, but when she saw who the body belong to, she screamed again.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata rushed over to him and to her relief, he was still breathing. Naruto seemed to pick up on her presence and smiled at her.

"Oh, there you are Hinata," Naruto said. "I was wondering where you were."

"What's going on, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked. "What happened here? Why do you look older?"

"Huh? What are you talking about, Hinata? You got older too, y'know." Naruto would have continued, but he started coughing up blood.

"What are you talking about? I'm—" Hinata was about to say she was still thirteen while Naruto looked to be seventeen, but a lock of hair fell over her face and she had to brush it aside. She looked down and saw that her hair had grown much longer, and that instead of her usual attire, she was now clothed in the standard Konohagakure ninja uniform, and no longer wore a forehead protector. "How did I—" she tried to say, but never got to finish as Naruto coughed up more blood. "Naruto-kun!"

"Hey, Hinata...could you say what you just said again?" Naruto asked, completely ignoring Hinata's concerns for him. "I just wanna hear it again, 'cause I kinda feel like falling asleep, y'know..."

"Say? Say what? We need to get you help!" Hinata frantically searched with her Byakugan for anyone that might be able to heal Naruto, but it was no use, as everyone in sight was dead.

"I don't need help...I just need to hear you say that you love me..."

Hinata's world stopped at that moment. Her eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets as she just stood there, completely frozen by what Naruto just said. It took her almost a full minute to recover and ask, "I...I said what?"

But Naruto just gave her a look of confusion. "Hey, that's not funny, y'know. You said you loved me, remember? Unless...you didn't mean it like that..." He looked up at Hinata and saw she still wasn't answering, and sighed, giving her a look of utter disappointment and pain. "I see. And here I thought I finally got it. I guess I'm even more stupid than everyone says. Sorry, Hinata."

 _"No!"_ Hinata cried, throwing herself around Naruto. "Don't say that, Naruto-kun! I do love you! I love you so much!"

"Oh, thank goodness." Naruto looked at Hinata and smiled. "That would've been the crappiest way to die, y'know."

Hinata almost choked on a hiccup and gave Naruto a look of horror. "Di-die, Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah...I'm not gonna make it," Naruto said, shaking his head.

"Don't say that, Naruto-kun!" Hinata shouted. "Just hang on a little longer so I can get you help!" She let go of Naruto and stood, but felt him grab her arm before she could leave.

"No, Hinata. Please don't go. Please don't leave me alone," Naruto begged.

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata shook her head, rejecting everything she saw here. "No. This is a dream. This isn't real, this can't be real. You can't love me, you can't be dying. No, no, no, this is _not happening!"_ she yelled, her denial growing stronger with each word that escaped her lips. "I just saw you! We were at the Chūnin Exams and we were fighting together! I don't care if you still love Sakura-san, as long as you're happy. But this...you dying, this can't be real!" She tried again to escape the nightmare, but Naruto, with seemingly inhuman strength, pulled on her arm and forced her back onto the ground, making her sit in front of him as he forced himself to sit up.

"This is just a dream to you?" Naruto asked. "Then let's try to make it a good dream before it all ends." And with that, he cupped Hinata's cheeks and pulled her into a kiss. Hinata knew this wasn't real, but the emotion that Naruto was pouring into the kiss still left her on the brink of tears.

 _'No, no, oh please God, no. This isn't right! This isn't real!'_ Hinata had imagined this moment an innumerable amount of times since she first started developing romantic feelings for Naruto. It had been in so many of her fantasies for so many years. But until now, it had never been a part of her nightmares. She had never imagined the possibility that her first kiss would only happen when Naruto was at death's door. Hinata struggled to break free and escape this nightmare, but her body refused to obey her commands.

Eventually, Naruto allowed the kiss to end. He broke away from Hinata and said, "Thank you...for loving me."

And then Hinata's world turned pitch black, leaving her completely abandoned in the darkness.

And she screamed.

x-x

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted, rushing towards his fallen friend as she screamed for him, but he only succeeded in gaining the undivided attention of Fū as she flew towards him, covered in her chakra shroud once more.

"You should be paying more attention to me! Shining Downstroke!" Fū yelled, exhaling some sort of sparkling powder at Naruto. His goggles protected him from getting blinded, but didn't help him to react in time to Fū grabbing his head and carrying him into the air before throwing him back into the sand. Naruto coughed up lots of sand and groaned as he pushed himself back to his feet, greatly disoriented by the attack.

"I don't know what your friend was going on about just now, Naruto, but it looks like I win!" Fū announced, doing a brief happy dance in midair. "Now which one of you has the Earth scroll?"

 **"This isn't over yet,"** Naruto growled, but the voice was completely different from his normal voice. Fū looked at him and saw that his eyes were changing; whereas before both of his eyes were blue, now his left eye had turned red with black sclera, and he was staring down Fū with a malicious look on his face.

Fū landed on the sand and took several steps back. "W-What's going on? W-What are you?" she stammered.

She did not receive an answer. Another large explosion occurred, this time right next to them, knocking both her and Naruto off their feet. When she got back up, she saw that the sandstorm had dissipated completely due to the force of the blast and could now see clearly two men wrapped in black cloaks which featured a red cloud pattern.

"For once, our intel was correct," the taller of the two, whose head was completely hidden from view save for his pupil-less green eyes, said. "We have the opportunity to capture two jinchūriki at once."

"That means I can't kill them to appease Jashin-sama," his partner, who had silver hair and was gripping the amulet around his neck, grumbled, then started saying a silent prayer, begging his god for forgiveness.

 **"Fū, we need to get outta here now!"** Naruto shouted at the mint-haired girl.

"Huh?" a very confused Fū shouted back; between the way the blond's eyes changed a few moments ago and these new arrivals to the fight, she had no idea what she was supposed to do now. "What do you mean?"

 **"These two assholes who just showed up are part of the Akatsuki! They're here for our tailed beasts!"**

This command from Naruto only sent Fū into deeper shock as she realized this was exactly the threat her Anbu bodyguards were assigned by Shibuki to protect her against. Not only did she not run as Naruto told her to, she was not able to notice when the silver-haired Akatsuki member appeared directly in front of her and gave her a maniacal grin as he licked the tip of one of the blades of his Triple-Bladed Scythe.

"Well, aren't you a pretty little thing..."

x-x

 **Editor's Note: After a certain reviewer for Chapter 9 pointed out some major development issues for Present!NaruHina, it was decided to split the chapter into two, and perform some major edits/additions to several of the previous chapters. Chapters 1, 4, 6 and 7 all have been altered in addition to the chapter split, and the original endgame that was planned has also changed. Anyone who reviewed Chapter 9 before this update and is now reviewing Chapter 10, please only post your thoughts on the second half of 9 (scenes after Itachi vs. Danzō)/first half of 10 (scenes before the Demon Desert)/expansion of Hinata's waking nightmare in the fight with Fū.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning: this chapter contains graphic violence, gore, and a brief torture scene.**

x-x

 **Chapter 11: Dark Sands**

Despite the close proximity of the explosions, none of the shinobi here were panicking. Every single one of them, including those who had not yet reached adulthood, was already a war veteran and had seen their share of conflict. Panic was a reaction that did not occur easily for them.

Gaara pressed his hands to the floor and sent out a pulse of chakra, causing the surrounding desert to spawn sand cats that would attempt to detect any enemy presences. However, after several minutes, the sensory technique failed to locate whoever it was that had attacked the central tower. Some of the other shinobi saw Gaara show a look of concern, which set off alarms in their heads.

But the first signs of true panic only appeared among the collective when a clay bird flew right into the center of the room. Gaara's sand reacted automatically and enveloped it before it could explode. But it had survived long enough to erase all doubt in the minds of everyone present about who had caused the first explosion.

"They're here," Gaara said ominously. He then turned to face Baki and ordered, "Send every member of the Exploration Group out to locate all of the participating teams and evacuate them from the Demon Desert immediately."

"Yes, sir," Baki replied. "But what about you, sir? You're one of their targets!"

"And I am also the only shinobi in Suna who is strong enough to fight these adversaries, Baki-sensei. I must remain here."

Baki sighed, betraying his unspoken thoughts about his former student stubbornly standing his ground against the Akatsuki. Thankfully, Gaara chose not to call him out on those thoughts. "Very good, Kazekage-sama. It will be done as you command."

"Evacuating all the teams?" Shizune asked; the satellite connection to Konoha had not been shut off yet. "You're planning to cancel the Chūnin Exams, Gaara-sama?"

"I have no choice, Shizune Katō. This attack by the Akatsuki will generate too much controversy once word of their appearance here gets out."

"Naruto is going to be so upset when he gets back to Konoha only to find out that he's going to be denied a promotion again," Shikamaru observed as he moved closer to Gaara. Then he asked the necessary question, "How did the Akatsuki even get here, Kazekage-sama?"

"I was observing Fū earlier with my sand eye, but she noticed me and forced me to cancel the technique," Gaara explained. "That must have given our enemies the opportunity they needed to get inside the Demon Desert. But to make it this far in the first place..."

"They planted a mole among your shinobi. Probably more than one," Shikamaru finished Gaara's realization.

"It seems I will be forced to request the aid of your village yet again once the current crisis is over. But for now, you must get your friends out of here. Temari," Gaara ordered his older sister.

"Got it," Temari replied, using her tessen (war fan) to quickly blast a hole in one of the walls. Once the opening was made, she set the tessen down and dragged Shikamaru over to her, gesturing for him to sit down on the tessen.

"This is such a drag!" Shikamaru complained as Temari pushed them out of the tower and used her tessen to glide along the air currents. Their escape came at just the right time, as another explosion rocked the tower and sent most of the remaining occupants into a panic as they rushed to escape.

And a few moments later, the cause of their panic appeared. A blond teenager wearing the Akatsuki robes was sighted riding atop a large clay bird, which Gaara knew right away was not modeled after any species that were native to Kaze no Kuni. A large bang kept his left eye hidden from view.

"So," the figure riding the clay bird, Akatsuki's terrorist bomber Deidara, said as the bird slowly approached the tower, "did you appreciate my art, hm?"

Gaara remained eerily calm as he turned towards the few who were still present inside the tower. "Hokage-dono, I would request that you allow me to handle Deidara alone. You are aware that he is a long-range fighter and will likely rely on attacks from the air, far from where you can reach him."

"That's fine, Kazekage-dono," Tsunade replied, cracking her knuckles. "Akatsuki always come in pairs, after all." Once she said that, Deidara's partner came into view. The new figure appeared to be hunched over and walking on all fours.

"Always the fanatic, Deidara," the blond's partner spoke in a hoarse voice. "What would you have done if you had made the mistake of killing our target with the first salvo?"

"Don't lecture me, Sasori, my man!" Deidara yelled. "What better way was there to enlighten them with the beauty of my art, hm?"

"The only thing that idiotic attack accomplished was to prematurely alert our enemies to our presence. Your obsession with your inferior art style has ruined our stealth and now we only have a limited amount of time before the Demon Desert is swarming with reinforcements. You couldn't even take anyone out with those bombs! Next time, think before acting." Deidara was about to turn this into another of their full-blown arguments over which form of art is superior, but while both of them remained focused on each other, Tsunade took advantage of their bickering and crashed down on Sasori, slamming a chakra-boosted fist into his back.

Only to do no damage whatsoever as Sasori dissolved into sand and reappeared some distance away.

"A sand clone?" Tsunade wondered aloud.

"I see that taking the position of Hokage has not affected your recklessness in battle, Tsunade of the Sannin," Sasori chided the Slug Princess. "Let's make this quick. Thanks to my foolish partner, there's no time to savor the rare opportunity to defeat two Kage at once."

"Aren't you the confident one, talking so casually of your assumptions about the outcome," Tsunade shot back. "You know enough about me to know that I absolutely can't stand losing. So you should already know that you picked the wrong fight today."

"I beg to differ. Deidara may be a fool, but he is still a useful one. And I am sorely disappointed by your reactions. Nonetheless, you may yet prove to be a valuable addition to my extensive collection of puppets, even if you're not on the same level as my favorite puppet, the Third Kazekage, who I kidnapped and killed over ten years ago."

The claim from Sasori sent Tsunade staggering backwards. "W-What did you say?"

"Unfortunately, his boasts are completely accurate," Gaara spoke up. "Sasori of the Red Sand is my village's most infamous traitor, responsible for the murder of my late father's predecessor. His skills with puppetry are unmatched by anyone in the Five Great Shinobi Nations, and it was with his puppets that he earned his moniker during the Third Shinobi World War, by dying the sands red with the blood of his enemies. Sasori is the only puppeteer who has displayed the ability to use humans as puppets. But the murder of the Third Kazekage isn't even his greatest feat. This criminal is responsible for killing an entire nation single-handed."

"It is good to see that my accomplishments have not been forgotten by the pathetic people of Suna," Sasori said. "But as for you, Tsunade, I cannot allow you to live long enough to learn anything else." Tsunade barely had time to jump away as a metallic scorpion tail emerged from the sand behind her and attempted to impale her.

"Tsunade!" Gaara shouted, only now starting to panic. However, his words were drowned out by several clay birds exploding at close proximity, forcing his sand to react automatically to block them.

"Hey, pay attention!" Deidara yelled at the Kazekage. "The art show is just getting started, yeah!"

x-x

Fū quickly jumped away from the silver-haired Jashinist, propelling herself backwards with the wings of her Nanabi (Seven-Tails) chakra cloak. While the detection of negative emotions wasn't one of her abilities, the sinister aura coming from that man had been impossible not to feel.

 _'What the hell is with this creep?'_ the mint-haired jinchūriki raged inside her head. She did not have time to find an answer to her question, as the Jashinist quickly reappeared behind her, denying her a chance to escape.

"Where are you going, pretty? Let's have some fun!" the man laughed, flashing Fū a sadistic grin. He raised his scythe—hacking off a few limbs was still allowed, provided she lived long enough to be killed by the Akatsuki's extraction ceremony—and knew from the speed Fū had used in her first escape attempt that she would not be able to dodge this hit.

Luckily for her, she didn't need to.

"Rasengan!" Naruto shouted. In his fixation on Fū, the silver-haired Akatsuki had failed to maintain situational awareness, allowing the blond to appear at his side with a Body Flicker and slam the blue orb into his gut, blasting him several meters away. However, despite the direct hit that was lethal to most who were struck, Naruto's enemy seemed more annoyed than injured when he dug his heels into the sand and stopped moving.

"You're gonna regret that, kid," the Jashinist growled. "I'm gonna chop you up into little pieces and make the bitch standing next to you watch!"

"Go ahead and try, punk," Naruto shot back, cracking his knuckles and giving his foe a predatory grin. "I've been waiting for a chance to beat one of you freaks down for a long time." While he did mean those words from the bottom of his wounded heart, in reality Naruto was only saying them to bait his opponents, hoping Fū would take the chance to escape and get Hinata away as well. Then, once he had the Akatsuki's undivided attention, he would work out his own escape plan. The problem was getting both of them to focus on him and him alone.

"Keep calm, Hidan," the silver-haired man's partner, the one with the green eyes and mask, advised. "It's your fault for letting your guard down around the other target."

The now identified Hidan turned to his partner and frowned. "Are you shitting me, Kakuzu? Why didn't you step in if you knew he was going to throw a sucker punch?"

"Your rage and psychotic tendencies are not assets in this situation," Kakuzu reminded Hidan. "You cannot give in to your bloodlust in this fight. Our mission is to take both of these jinchūriki alive." Hidan clenched his scythe, but said nothing, knowing that Kakuzu was right: the mission had to come first, even though the cost was Jashin's displeasure. "The Nanabi comes from my former village, so I will deal with her. You can handle the Kyūbi. But he _must_ still be alive when you're done with him," Kakuzu stressed with no subtlety whatsoever.

"Fine," Hidan mumbled. But during the interruption, the pair hadn't noticed that Naruto took the opportunity to make several dozen Shadow Clones, placing most of them in front of Fū to give her a buffer. Naruto hoped this would give Fū enough time to make her getaway as he charged at Kakuzu...

...but Hidan stepped in and made his effort meaningless.

"How dare you ignore me, heathen!" Hidan yelled, kicking Naruto in the head and making all of his clones dispel at once. Naruto tumbled across the sand and groaned, feeling a slight headache from the impact. "You think you can pull that shit and get away with it?" the Jashinist kept ranting, delivering a second kick to Naruto, this time impacting his gut hard enough to make him cough up bile. "As if! I might not be allowed to kill you, but by the time we're done here you'll be begging Jashin-sama to grant you death!"

x-x

Gaara poured more chakra into the sand cloud he hovered on, increasing his speed and altitude as he attempted to draw Deidara away from the Demon Desert or at least, away from where any of the genin teams were likely to be holed up. This left Tsunade alone with Sasori at the now-deserted central tower, continuing to dodge Sasori's scorpion tail.

"Tsk," Tsunade muttered. "This is really annoying!" she yelled as, pulling a page out of Naruto's handbook, she stopped dodging and stood her ground for the next attack. The tail jabbed at her with incredible speed, but she twisted her body slightly, enough to make it miss by about fifteen centimeters. Before Sasori could retract the tail, Tsunade grabbed it with her right hand.

"Now get lost!" Tsunade screamed as she yanked on the tail and reeled Sasori in. Her left fist smashed into the puppet master's face, but to her surprise, his entire body shattered into numerous fragments of wood and metal, the metallic shards sparkling in the harsh sunlight as they scattered over the desert floor.

 _'A puppet? That body was only a puppet?'_

"While I am upset that you destroyed Hiruko so quickly," Sasori muttered, his voice no longer hoarse, "such a feat is expected from the Fifth Hokage." Thanks to that one punch, he'd been forced to abandon Hiruko before it connected and now appeared in his true form, an unnaturally young teenager with messy red hair and still cloaked in the Akatsuki robes.

Tsunade grimaced as she pulled some of the shards that had hit her out of her right arm and tore off part of her shirt to act as a bandage. "I'm gonna break you next, and when I do there won't be any pieces left to pick up." She slammed her fist into the sand, generating shock waves that temporarily disoriented Sasori. Then she pushed chakra into her legs and rushed in with enhanced speed, attempting to strike before her enemy could respond. However, when her punch connected and the sand was sent flying she was surprised to see that another puppet had blocked the hit, and as she stood in the pile of wood left behind by her hit, she stared down the face of a third puppet, and this one looked eerily familiar.

"What the—"

"Iron Sand: Scattered Showers," Sasori calmly said. Magnetized sand began pelting the Slug Princess at an accelerated rate. Since the attack occurred at point-blank range, Tsunade was unable to get out of the way in time and took most of the full force. Four of the projectiles were still lodged into her stomach when the attack ceased.

"Haha..." Tsunade laughed between groans of pain as she pulled out the projectiles. "Are S-rank missing ninja all talk these days? That hit only barely hurt!"

"It will be much more painful in a few seconds, Tsunade. You're already starting to look ill."

"What are you—" but then Tsunade felt what Sasori was implying. Her skin started to show discoloration and her legs wobbled, rapidly losing strength. "That sand was poisoned?!" she coughed out.

"All of my puppets and other weapons utilize a metallic poison of my creation in their attacks," Sasori explained. "My many battles against other Suna-nin have confirmed that there is no antidote in existence for my poison. You're already starting to feel the effects. The poison is attacking your muscles and destroying healthy tissue. Any moment now, you will be fully paralyzed. And in three days' time, the poison will finish its job and kill you."

"We'll...see about that," Tsunade struggled to say, her voice raspy as her hands glowed green and she tried to extract the poison.

"Deidara was right about one thing. You have no appreciation of art. But his claims that beauty is only found in brief flashes are misguided. True art is supposed to endure throughout the ages, to be appreciated by many generations after it is created. Most of my victims are prime examples of this. After I defeat them, I transform their bodies into puppets while they're still alive. The Third Kazekage is the most exquisite piece in my collection, retaining the Magnet Style kekkei genkai possessed by the Kazekage's clan. I look forward to adding you to my collection as well, Tsunade of the Sannin."

"You can forget about it! Your views on art are revolting and I won't let you desecrate me like you did the rest of your victims!"

"The flawed thoughts of an unenlightened mind. Only a rare few are able to grasp the true essence of art. Deidara, at least, is able to appreciate and respect this truth. Now then, time to finish this." Sasori tugged on the chakra threads connected to the Third Kazekage puppet, making it expel two masses of iron sand of opposite magnetic charges. "Iron Sand: World Order!" he shouted, forcing the masses to merge and create hundreds of charged spikes branching off irregularly. Tsunade, in her weakened state struggled to dodge the spikes that rained down on her, and ended up being trapped in a small space by several of the spikes.

"This is the end for you, Tsunade." Sasori started moving closer to finish the job, when...

"Sasori, my man! Look out!" Deidara yelled from atop his clay bird. Sasori turned to see what his partner was blabbing about this time, only to see massive sand waves rushing towards him.

"Sand Tsunami!" Gaara shouted. The rolling sand was already too close for Sasori to avoid. Knowing there was no escape, he jettisoned a small cylindrical object from his body just before he was helplessly swept away by the waves. The sand waves also weaved between the needle sphere he'd just made and swept most of it away as well, thereby allowing Tsunade to escape from his prison.

"Sunagakure will see justice served on this day, Sasori. Giant Sand Burial!" Gaara pressed his hands down against the sand and sent out several pulses of chakra, compressing the sand and crushing everything buried beneath it.

"That seemed...a bit too easy, Kazekage-dono," Tsunade groaned, shakily making her way towards Gaara once the shock waves ceased. She did not get a chance to show her relief that Gaara was still alive and well, as Deidara became enraged by the sight of Sasori's apparent destruction.

"You're going to pay dearly for what you just did to Sasori, yeah!" Deidara howled. He revealed a small statue-like bomb kept underneath his robes and activated it with the Seal of Confrontation. The statue rapidly expanded as it dropped towards ground level, its arms slowly extending outward.

 _'This is a great problem,'_ Gaara thought as the statue continued to expand. _'I expended too much of my chakra trying to keep Deidara stalled. Coupled with my attack against Sasori...'_

"What are you doing?!" Gaara shouted.

"The Ohaku C3 is a prime demonstration of my art, a flash of brilliance that will outshine the sun!" Deidara continued howling. "There's no escape, yeah! Cry your heart out in your last moments, because my art...is an EXPLOSION!"

 _'An explosion of that size...it will severely damage the desert's ecosystem and kill most of the genin who are still here! I cannot allow it to happen!'_ In full-blown panic, Gaara summoned the last of his chakra reserves to call upon a large-scale defense to block the explosion before it could go off.

"Wind Style: Sky Sand Defensive Wall!" Gaara slammed his hands down onto the desert floor to infuse the surrounding sand with Wind chakra. He then raised his arms, and the sand rose with it, forming several pillars underneath a giant sand shield which enveloped the explosive statue.

In the next moments, the world violently shifted. Despite his best efforts, Gaara had not been able to completely contain the explosion with his sand. Deidara's boasts that the flash would outshine the sun had not been exaggerated; for a brief moment, everything turned white, then when the flash faded much of the sky above them appeared to be engulfed in orange flames. The blast wave from the explosion nearly toppled Gaara, and caused the central observation tower to collapse, burying Tsunade in rubble. And much of the sand shield turned to glass and started crumbling, its shards raining down all around the battle site.

After the explosion ran out of energy and faded, the wind was still howling violently and whipping up a new sandstorm to spread out in every direction across the Demon Desert. Gaara was exhausted and struggling to remain upright. His equilibrium was still disturbed by the explosion, which his sand shield had absorbed just enough of to prevent major damage to the desert. It would be some time before he could know if he'd also managed to prevent casualties. But there was a more pressing issue: Deidara was nowhere to be seen. Gaara had no choice but to envelop himself in his personal sand shield to recoup.

A move which would turn out to be his undoing. Too late, Gaara noticed that there was white clay embedded inside his shield.

And it was the last thing he saw before the clay detonated.

x-x

Fū managed to put three hundred meters between herself and Hidan before she realized she would have to stand her ground against Kakuzu. The two foes were disturbingly similar despite their ideological differences and intense hatred for one another. But Kakuzu seemed even more sinister than his partner. It was in his eyes and the way he carried himself.

Then there was also his forehead protector, with a large scratch running horizontally through the center. Fū recognized the symbol on the metal plate as the symbol of her home village.

"This monster is from Taki?" Fū wondered. "How did the elders even let someone like him exist?"

"The elders of Taki," Kakuzu snapped at Fū, "had no say in the matter, seeing as I killed them all after they betrayed and imprisoned me several decades ago." Hundreds of thick, gray tendrils started sprouting out from Kakuzu's flesh and wrapped around Fū, forcing her out of the air and leaving her immobilized. Then Kakuzu's entire body turned stone-like and he delivered a devastating headbutt to Fū, giving her a concussion as she fell into the sand.

"Normally I wouldn't bother with someone as young as you, since you don't have any sort of bounty on your head. But my organization wants the bijū that's inside of you, and I must follow orders. So let's make this quick. It won't matter if you hit me with your full power. Even the First Hokage couldn't kill me, so there's no chance of you walking away from this fight."

In any other situation, Fū would have answered that taunt with a snarky remark. However, her head was still ringing from the blow Kakuzu dealt her when his body hardened from using the Earth Style: Earth Spear. She knew she had to do something, but she still wasn't able to make her body answer any of her commands.

"So be it." Kakuzu growled. "Experience another taste of my Earth Spear!" he yelled, slamming his fist into the sand and generating a shock wave. Fū barely managed to take flight before the shock wave would have hit and rendered her immobile long enough for Kakuzu to land his next attack. As she struggled to regain her faculties, she scanned the surroundings for her enemy, but found that he had vanished after his attack.

 _'This monster...is way too strong,'_ Fū observed. _'If that attack had connected like the first one did, this fight would be over.'_ Desperate to turn the tide, Fū exhaled a blinding powder from her mouth, spreading it around for several hundred meters and hoping it spread far enough to blind Kakuzu and give her a chance to escape.

 _"Kegon, Yōrō, if you can get this message in time I could really use some help!"_ Fū silently yelled, her message carried by a howling wind. Even with the maximum amount of bijū chakra she could control, she knew her chances of winning against the S-rank missing-nin who betrayed her village, a monster who had fought against Hashirama Senju and survived, were slim to none. She hated the thought of potentially having to sacrifice her teammates just to be able to run away, but Shibuki had stressed the importance of exercising caution and staying out of any situation where her condition as a jinchūriki would be exposed to any enemies of Takigakure. But clearly it was too late for _that;_ Taki's most infamous traitor already knew about her and was doing everything in his power to capture her.

Fū finally managed to locate Kakuzu after about a minute of scanning the desert. Not wasting any time, the mint-haired girl weaved four hand signs—Boar, Ram, Dog and Rat—and emitted webbing from her hands, launching it at her target and intending to immobilize him. However, Kakuzu had seen through the tactic without even looking at Fū, and right as the net would have landed on him, he dissolved into water.

 _'A water clone?'_ Startled, Fū turned around only to find that the real Kakuzu was enveloped in the threads that had attacked her earlier and took on a hideous, octopus-like form. His range was greatly extended in this form, easily allowing him to use the tendrils to bring his opponent back down to earth. Fū didn't have time to react before the massive tendrils extending from his mouth wrapped around her neck and yanked her out of the air. Their grip on her quickly tightened, and despite the chakra cloak Fū still wore the tendrils easily foiled her struggles to break free.

"What...how..." Fū choked out, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Surprised? This is the power of your village's strongest kinjutsu, the Earth Grudge Fear. I can freely detach and reattach any of my limbs at will using the many tendrils woven throughout my flesh. The tendrils can also be used as dozens of additional appendages, and they are strong enough to keep you at bay even in your present state.

"Attempting to blind me and then immobilize me was a decent tactic, considering you're only a novice. Your control over the Nanabi is greater than I expected, given the incompetence of your elders. If they'd had the brains to help you gain more control over that power, you might have given me trouble. But you are not the first jinchūriki I have fought in battle, nor will you be the last. And this kinjutsu gives me all the tools I could ever need to put you down.

"You'll lose consciousness any second now, and when you do, your chakra cloak will vanish. I won't have any need of my stronger ninjutsu. Mission accomplished."

 _'No way...this can't be how it ends! This WON'T be how it ends!'_ Fū raged. In her refusal to succumb, she did something Kakuzu completely failed to anticipate. She drew on more of the Nanabi's chakra, spawning another two tails and changing her cloak to a dark red color.

Now in her Version Two state, Fū let out a guttural roar as the tendrils around her neck melted from contact with the more corrosive chakra. Kakuzu pushed himself backward to avoid further injury; his close proximity to Fū had started to cause his flesh to burn off. He may have been one of the most durable members of the Akatsuki, but even he could not survive close proximity to an enraged jinchūriki for long.

"Hmph...well, this is a large hiccup in the plan. But now you might actually be worth my time," Kakuzu growled.

Still in his long-range mode, he reactivated his Earth Spear technique and sent his tendrils out to attempt to pierce through the cloak. All this did was enrage Fū, who was appearing to glide across the sand as she closed in. Kakuzu noted that the extra power she drew on had increased her speed by ten times, but at the cost of overwhelming most of her rational thought. She had become a creature of pure rage. And Kakuzu was disappointed in her. He'd heard stories of jinchūriki who had attained perfect control over their bijū, namely Yagura and the two possessed by Kumogakure no Sato (the Village Hidden by Clouds), so he couldn't help but feel disappointed that this jinchūriki's control was lacking.

Kakuzu quickly found himself grappling with Fū, and was continuing to be pushed back. His reinforced skin was resisting the effects of the Nanabi's chakra, but it wouldn't protect him for long. He swatted Fū with his tendrils, attempting to break the grapple, but she only kept moving forward.

Then his eyes widened as a sickening crunch sound rang in his ears. Fū had lowered her head and clamped down on his chest and bit hard, tearing through the stone skin and piercing one of his hearts. Kakuzu went completely still for a moment. In her present state, Fū was not able to realize that Kakuzu had not been killed by her Bug Bite, so when he went still, she released him and flew away.

Only when she heard the sound of shattered porcelain, indicating that one of the two masks still on Kakuzu's back broke, did she sense that she had made a grievous mistake.

"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!" Kakuzu shouted. The Wind mask on his left shoulder released a concentrated stream of wind of such intensity, that even in her present state Fū was forced back. She dropped down to all fours and dug her heels into the sand to resist the force of the wind Kakuzu expelled from his mask.

"Fire Style: Searing Migraine!" Now the Fire mask on his right shoulder activated, spewing a high-powered stream of fire which combined with the still-ongoing Wind attack. Fū howled in agony as the dual attack struck, enveloping her in a blaze that even her current form could not endure. The Nanabi, in a last-ditch effort to preserve itself tried to force even more chakra into her network to change her form yet again, but with the relentless fire-wind stream from Kakuzu consuming its host at the same time as its chakra, Fū had reached her current limits.

Kakuzu sensed this as well and broke off his attack. When the flames surrounding Fū vanished, he observed that the bijū chakra surrounding her was rapidly vanishing, and once her skin was visible again he saw that she had moderate burns spread across much of her body.

 _"Now_ the mission is accomplished," Kakuzu grumbled to himself as Fū fell unconscious into the sand. He was about to move to pick her up when his ring pulsed with foreign chakra. Recognizing this as an urgent message from Pain, the Akatsuki Treasurer sat down in a cross-legged position and allowed his leader to initiate the Astral Projection Jutsu between them.

 _"Kakuzu, status report,"_ Pain ordered through his projection.

"The Nanabi has been captured, but subduing its host was more difficult than I anticipated. My chakra reserves are depleted and one of my hearts was destroyed in the fight," Kakuzu said.

 _"We have made a critical error by sending too many members to the same location. Locate Hidan and fall back immediately. Rendezvous with the other teams at our hideout in Kawa no Kuni (the Land of Rivers)."_

"Understood."

x-x

Naruto's situation against Hidan was arguably worse than Fū's had been against Kakuzu, despite facing the weaker opponent. Hidan, for the time being not blinded to the necessity of keeping his adversary alive, had strapped his Triple-Bladed Scythe to his back and was relying on raw taijutsu instead of bukijutsu (weapon techniques), but despite the severe handicap he placed on himself Hidan still started the fight with an overwhelming advantage.

Naruto had already attempted several methods of defense and distraction. The first wave of Shadow Clones had all been dispatched with a single hit to each; Hidan effortlessly weaved between them and even jumped over several of the clones, displaying tremendous agility and dexterity. The sandstorm that was enveloping the area had been dissipated by the very arrival of his enemies, taking away another possible means of defense. Naruto was quickly growing desperate in his efforts to stall for time in the hope that Fū had managed to escape with Hinata.

But apparently that had been too much to ask for. Naruto was pushed back again, but this time he tripped backwards over something soft. Naruto checked for the offending object and to his horror, he found that Hinata was still collapsed in the sand.

 _'No! Where the hell are you, Fū? Why didn't you get Hinata out of here?'_ Sure, logically he shouldn't have expected someone who wasn't a friend to have aided him, even if that someone was from an allied village. But Naruto still felt an overwhelming betrayal from Fū's decision to ignore both her teammates and his during her flight away from this desert. And he was becoming increasingly frantic, knowing it was all on him to figure out a way to get Hinata, along with Kiba and Shino if he could find them, to safety.

 _'There's no other way. I have to use the fox's chakra if I'm going to be able to protect her,'_ Naruto resolved, kneeling down on all fours. Judging from how badly he was getting kicked around, he didn't think the two tails of chakra he could willingly call on and control would be enough to gain the upper hand long enough to get his friends out of danger. But he was out of options.

 _'I just hope Hinata doesn't wake up to see me like this and hate me for it.'_

Sand swirled violently around Naruto as the malicious power of the Kyūbi surrounded him, quickly engulfing his body in an orange cloak. A pair of chakra tails lashed through the air as he slowly rose to his feet, boring into the Jashinist's purple eyes with his red, slitted ones. Hidan, however, wasn't in the least phased by this feeble attempt at intimidation.

"Is the unbeliever getting desperate so soon?" Hidan taunted, and bellowed out a vile laugh. He unstrapped the Triple-Bladed Scythe and rushed towards Naruto. However, this time Naruto struck first and landed a vicious punch with a chakra arm that sent shock waves through the desert and sent Hidan tumbling backwards by almost fifty meters. The Jashinist shook off the hit, showing momentary surprise from allowing himself to take another hit that wasn't self-inflicted. He had also dropped his scythe during his tumbling, but a quick tug on the metal cable that was attached to the scythe put it back into his hand, and he rushed in again.

Naruto sent another chakra arm to attack, but Hidan used the scythe to propel himself into the air and jump over the arm, landing about a meter to the right of where it shot out at him. This bought Hidan another second of forward momentum before Naruto tried repelling him again, this time sending out several chakra arms at once. Hidan found it slightly harder to avoid this wave, but he was still the most agile member of Akatsuki and so it was little surprise that he dodged them all without that much difficulty. When he landed, he withdrew his second weapon of choice, a retractable spear, and placed it into his left hand while bending to the side to avoid yet another chakra arm.

"Why must heathens always be so damn boring?" Hidan jeered. "Entertain me, for a change!" Then he rushed back in, only to find that Naruto had vanished.

"Now where does that punk think he can hide?" A few seconds later, he got his answer when a pair of chakra arms burst up from beneath the sand, catching him by surprise and managing to restrain him successfully.

"Is this entertaining enough for ya, freak?" Naruto snarled as a huge orb of chakra formed in his hand, using the Kyūbi cloak in place of a shadow clone to stabilize it. "Giant Rasengan!" he shouted, slamming the orb into Hidan's midsection. However, Hidan had managed to wrestle his left arm free and thrust it forward at the same time as Naruto attacked. Hidan didn't bother trying to evade the chakra orb and let himself be sent flying. However, the internal injuries he sustained were negligible and did not hinder his combat abilities.

Naruto, on the other hand, had Hidan's spear piercing through his left lung. He snarled louder as he yanked the spear out, and the Jashinist observed as he charged back in that the injury, while lethal to most people, was already repaired. The only thing it did to the jinchūriki was slow him down for just a few seconds.

However, those few seconds were enough time for Hidan to notice a very important detail about the way Naruto was fighting.

 _'The_ _jinchūriki_ _is trying to protect someone,'_ he realized. He caught a glimpse of a young woman lying in the sand, evidently unconscious. _'This might allow me to atone for my sins against Jashin-sama by_ _sparing him from my ritual_ _.'_ Hidan blazed past Naruto, performing a frontal flip right over him as he dodged yet another set of chakra arms, and rushed at his next victim. Naruto tried to get Hidan away, but he was knocked back by a strong kick to his chest, leaving the jinchūriki unable to stop the Jashinist from getting to his target.

"Now, what do we have here?" Hidan mused, yanking Hinata out of the sand by pulling on her hair. The violent action made Hinata cry out in pain, and her eyes flicked open for a split second, long enough for Hidan to take notice of the Byakugan. "Trying to save your teammate, eh? And a Hyūga bitch, at that! Jashin-sama will be most pleased with this sacrifice," he said as he licked the tip of the largest blade of his scythe and pressed it to Hinata's neck.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" Naruto yelled. "I'm the one you're after! Leave her out of this!"

"I don't take orders from infidels," Hidan coolly replied. "And you shouldn't concern yourself with her until after you join her in hell."

"The only one here who's going to hell is you! Let her go so we can settle our fight!"

"Nah, it's more interesting watching you get worked up while you're helpless to save your teammate." Hidan laughed as he took in the increasing anger on Naruto's face. "Don't tell me you have feelings for this girl? Oh, that is _hysterical!_ A jinchūriki, of all people, actually loving someone! If that isn't the most absurd thing I've ever seen from an unbeliever!"

"Let. Her. Go," Naruto demanded again, his voice dropping several octaves below its normal pitch as he slowly enunciated each of his angry words.

Hidan gained a sinister sparkle in his eyes as Naruto's reactions only confirmed his prior observations. "If there's gonna be any chance of me listening to you, first you're gonna have to do as I say. Lose the chakra cloak," he ordered. Naruto instead started moving closer, intending to blitz Hidan and liberate Hinata from this situation; this only made the Jashinist press his scythe harder against Hinata's neck, breaking the skin and allowing a small trickle of blood to drip down. "One step closer and she dies. I said lose the cloak, you son of a whore!" Naruto was further enraged by Hidan's profane demands and the sight and smell of Hinata's blood, but reluctantly managed to force the Kyūbi's chakra out of his system. "Now drop to your hands and knees."

"And why the hell should I do _that?"_ Naruto snarled. He was _not_ going to play any of this evil creature's twisted games. "So I don't get to watch you kill her?"

"Someone's finally catching on!" Hidan laughed. "There's only two things that matter in this world. Faith in Jashin-sama, and the ecstasy he allows his faithful to feel when we kill in his name!" Carefully shifting Hinata in his grip so his scythe wouldn't kill her prematurely, Hidan licked the blood off the tip of the blade. This caused his appearance to undergo a drastic change, as his skin turned black with while bone-like markings and the symbol of Jashin appeared underneath him.

"It's a pity she won't be awake for her righteous death," Hidan said with obvious disappointment as he threw Hinata to the side. "Pain and suffering should be savored to the utmost extent!" He raised his scythe and prepared to stab himself in the heart. However, just before the blade could pierce his chest and transfer the fatal wound to Hinata, it stopped abruptly. In the second it would have taken Hidan to fulfill his sacrifice to the wicked god he served, Naruto appeared directly in front of the Jashinist and stopped the blade using just the palm of his right hand. Blood flowed freely from where the scythe pierced Naruto's skin instead of Hidan's, and in that same moment, the jinchūriki underwent a different kind of transformation.

"What the fuck?!" Hidan yelled. In the next second, Naruto yanked the Triple-Bladed Scythe out of Hidan's hand and pushed him out of the symbol's borders. He then tightened his grip on the blade and overloaded the scythe with chakra, causing the weapon to shatter and sending wood and metal splinters flying in every direction. Naruto had already healed the damage, while Hidan was left looking like a porcupine coated in blood; but since Naruto had pushed Hidan off the symbol before shattering his scythe, none of the damage was transferred to Hinata. Hidan could only stare at Naruto, utterly dumbfounded as his signature weapon was destroyed and his jujutsu (curse technique) was rendered useless since he no longer had any tools he could use to transfer damage to his victim.

Hidan involuntarily took several steps backward. Seeing how the tide of this battle had turned, he had started to panic. Naruto's aura had shifted, but he wasn't calling on any of the Kyūbi's chakra. But his eyes were still changed. The Jashinist started shaking as the sight of Naruto's red irides and black sclerae, glaring at him with an expression that held nothing but rage, burned itself into his immortal mind.

 **"You just made the biggest mistake of your life."**

x-x

Deidara smirked as he landed on the sand and stood over the bloody and broken Kazekage. The constant attacks from his C3 had given him the perfect diversion to plant some of his detonating clay inside Gaara's absolute defense. However, he gave himself a few moments of silence, and not to celebrate his victory. Gaara's actions at the end of the fight had been noble, and he respected that, though he had not been above taking advantage of them to complete his mission.

"Sasori, my man!" Deidara yelled at the sand, breaking the silence. "How long are you gonna hide, hm?"

"You talk too much," Sasori snapped at Deidara as he emerged from what was left of the central tower. The bomber knew that the puppeteer had transferred his organic core to another puppet body.

"You allowed your main body to be destroyed."

"A calculated risk. The Hokage was bound to lose consciousness from the effects of my poison sooner or later, so I did not see the point of wasting additional chakra in the fight. Protecting my core from the blast was more important."

"So basically, you let me do all the work, hm?" Deidara accused his partner.

"Once again, I am surprised that your inferior art was able to defeat the Kazekage. You continue to act too brashly in your efforts to one-up me. Had your tactics, if they can be called that failed, I would find myself being forced to clean up your mess yet again."

"You've got a lot of guts saying that when you let them destroy both of your favorite puppets! You not only lost Hiruko, but the Third Kazekage! Then there's the fact you let your main body be destroyed by Gaara! You took quite a beating in that fight, yeah!"

"Unfortunate losses, though they can be replaced in time. Now prepare the two Kage for transport."

"Don't you two ever shut the hell up?!" a very unwelcome voice shouted right as Deidara was about to have his C1 transport bird pick up Gaara in its talons, and just moments later, Tsunade burst free from the rubble of the central tower. "Seriously, your bickering is worse than Orochimaru's fangirls!" Deidara and Sasori turned to face each other with a pair of blank stares.

"I thought you had her dealt with, hm?" Deidara taunted Sasori.

"The poison should have done its job by now," Sasori muttered.

"You underestimated me," Tsunade cut in, quickly appearing in front of Deidara. "Big mistake." She tried to punch a hole straight through the bomber's chest, but Deidara quickly performed a Substitution with a Clay Clone he set aside, while Sasori reeled himself back with the stinger cable installed in his abdomen which he'd wrapped around a nearby boulder. It was only after dodging Tsunade's attack that they noticed her appearance had changed. There were several black markings stretching along her forehead and cheeks, signifying the activation of her ultimate iryōjutsu (medical technique), the Mitotic Regeneration.

"When you hit me with your poison, Sasori, my body was already beginning to purge it," she bluffed. In truth, she had managed to extract some of the poison, but there was still enough lingering in her system that the activation of her kinjutsu would only buy her a few more minutes of combat time before she truly became incapacitated. "Your failed attempt on my life ended with your best puppets getting turned into scrap. You gambled big and lost.

"Oh, and by the way, both of your art styles suck ass."

"That does it!" Deidara snapped. Sasori, for once, was in agreement with his partner; one does not insult both of their views on art and expect to live. Deidara launched a swarm of detonating clay minions while Sasori used both of his palms as flamethrowers to attack Tsunade.

"Eight Trigrams Palms Rotation!" a new voice yelled, its owner stepping between Tsunade and the Akatsuki and repelling the latter's attacks with a powerful revolving half-sphere of chakra expelled from his body. Annoyed, Deidara tried to send out more bombs, only to find that there was no clay left in his pouches. Before he could run back to his clay bird to cannibalize it for more material, he felt a sharp pain in his lower back and tumbled across the sand for several meters.

"Ow! Dammit! What the hell is going on?!" Deidara shouted.

"Dynamic Entry!" the second attacker yelled. "Cower in fear, for your evil deeds shall be punished by the Power of Youth!" He stood at an intimidating height of 184 centimeters and was dressed in a green jumpsuit, orange striped leg warmers and standard-issue Konoha flak jacket. He also sported a bowl haircut and thick eyebrows, along with maddeningly white teeth. In short, he looked utterly ridiculous.

"Great..." Deidara groaned as he struggled to get back to his feet. "Who the hell is this clown?"

"Hahaha! It is time for you to regret your mistakes, Akatsuki! For you now face Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey, Might Guy!" And to top off his triumphant speech, Guy flashed Deidara a smile that caused his teeth to give a proverbial ping.

"I do not believe that this is an appropriate time for your usual clichés, Guy-sensei," the first of his students who still stood in front of Tsunade said as he brushed off his white kimono-shirt and navy-gray apron.

"There is never an inappropriate time to indulge in our burning passions, Neji-kun," Guy replied. "We must always embrace the flames of our youth!"

"I really can't believe this guy..." Deidara muttered to himself. "Why isn't my partner dealing with him?"

"That would be because he is facing off against my exceptional students! He is no match for our youthful spirits!"

"Well said, as always, Guy-sensei!" another voice shouted. Tsunade groaned and Neji winced as Guy's favorite student, who was practically a clone of Guy in terms of appearance as he had the same bowl haircut, thick eyebrows and green jumpsuit, entered the fray.

"Can you please focus, Lee?" Neji hissed. "This is the Akatsuki we are dealing with, after all."

"We've been trying for _how_ long to break him of his habits, Neji?" the last member of Guy's team, a young brunette in a high-collared white blouse and puffy pants who had her hair done up in buns and carried a large scroll on her back, remarked as she appeared next to her Hyūga teammate.

"Clearly not long enough, Tenten." Neji shrugged.

"Dammit, Sasori! Where are you?!" Deidara snapped, growing increasingly annoyed with the newcomers to his fight. About two seconds later, a shadow appeared above him and he got his answer when Sasori fell down from the sky, and Deidara scrambled to get out of the way before his partner landed on top of him.

Neji, seeing that his team's opponents were temporarily incapacitated, rushed over to where Tsunade stood. "Are you alright, Tsunade-sama?" he asked.

Tsunade shook her head. "Not even close, Neji. I only have a few minutes before Sasori's poison overwhelms my iryōjutsu and renders me unconscious. And Kazekage-dono is in even worse shape than me."

"Oh no..." Neji turned his head slightly to make sure Gaara wasn't in his Byakugan's blind spot and confirmed what Tsunade said about the Kazekage's current condition. He then said through his wireless radio, "We need to end this fast, Guy-sensei. Both Hokage-sama and Kazekage-sama are in serious condition and require medical attention."

"Then fast we shall be, Neji-kun," Guy responded. "You and Lee-kun will face off against the puppeteer. Tenten-chan and I shall deal with the blond bomber."

"Guy-sensei, would it not be better for Tenten to be partnered with me against Sasori, while you and Lee deal with Deidara?"

"An excellent question, Neji-kun, but the answer is no. Lee-kun's taijutsu style is identical to mine and so we would not be able to compensate for each other's weaknesses. Furthermore, Deidara is capable of aerial combat and I will require Tenten-chan to play the role of support with her ranged attacks to keep him grounded. But you and Lee-kun, combining your Gentle Fist with his Strong Fist, complement each other perfectly and should be able to overwhelm Sasori with your valiant efforts of hard work."

"Ah, yes, Guy-sensei!" a Lee who had tears streaming down his cheeks howled. "You thought this out perfectly!"

"I knew you would be able to see it, Lee-kun!" Guy howled back, giving his favorite pupil a thumbs up. Neji and Tenten just sighed; while they would always question most of Guy's antics, the results of his training could not be denied. There was a reason he was the strongest taijutsu expert in Konoha and very possibly in the entirety of the Shinobi Nations, after all.

"I've heard enough of your chatting!" an enraged Sasori yelled. "I didn't want to resort to using this, but you have left me with no choice." He removed his cloak to unveil his true form. Tenten reacted in horror to seeing the various mechanisms and compartments that were placed where vital organs should have been.

"Dear God," Tenten gasped. "You turned yourself into a puppet?"

"Would you like to become like this too?" Sasori asked in reply. "To have a body that does not decay, and can be rebuilt over and over? Having released myself from my mortal coil, I have become eternal, and now stand here as the ultimate expression of my fine art. Perhaps I will give you the chance to understand, after I defeat you here." Sasori reached behind him to pull out a scroll from the holder attached to his back and unrolled it, forcing chakra into the scroll to unseal a large number of human puppets he kept stored away. He then opened the compartment on the right side of his chest and began weaving enough chakra threads to be able to control all of them simultaneously.

"Behold the art that is responsible for taking down an entire nation! Secret Red Move: Performance of a Hundred Puppets!"

 _'The amount of chakra threads he is producing to control those puppets...it's impossible for any human to achieve!'_ Neji silently observed as he entered an advanced Gentle Fist stance to begin repelling the onslaught of puppets.

"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams, One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Palms!" Neji shouted, unleashing his counterattack. As Neji fended off dozens of puppets with his clan's taijutsu, Lee quickly removed his ankle weights and used them as nunchaku, taking full advantage of the flawed coordination in Sasori's puppetry and striking down several more with his no longer inhibited speed.

"Don't leave me out of this!" Tsunade yelled as she joined Lee and Neji in fending off Sasori's ultimate attack, throwing one punch after another to smash every puppet that tried to land a hit on her.

While Sasori kept Lee, Neji and Tsunade occupied, Guy and Tenten gave chase to Deidara as he retreated back towards his transport bird to gather more detonating clay. Having seen just enough of the way Lee was fighting against Sasori, Deidara knew he would be at a serious disadvantage against Guy if he allowed this battle to continue on the ground, and tried to take off. However, Tenten quickly stopped the bird from flying out of reach.

"Rising Twin Dragons!" Tenten shouted, unsealing hundreds of projectile weapons from two of her smaller sealing scrolls and guiding them to hit the C1. Both wings were sliced off, causing the clay bird to crash after rising only a few meters into the air. Frustrated, Deidara bit off a piece of the bird's head and picked up one of the stray kunai from Tenten's attack, using it to fend off Guy while he attempted to create a distraction that would let him get away long enough to create a Self-Destructing Clone that would end the battle in an instant.

However, Deidara ended up being the one to get distracted first, as an ill-timed communication from the Akatsuki leader was forcibly initiated.

"Can't you see I'm a bit busy here?" Deidara yelled at the astral projection of Pain.

 _"A retreat order has been issued to the other teams. Fall back to the designated rendezvous point at once,"_ Pain commanded. _"We will attempt to claim the Ichibi at a later date."_

"Whatever." But right after the message ended, Deidara saw the opportunity he needed. During Deidara's momentary distraction, Guy had apparently instructed Tenten to move back, and was now shrouded in visible chakra, clearly wasting time to charge an attack. _'Idiot.'_

"Daytime Tiger!" Guy shouted, crashing down on Deidara. Much to his consternation, the one-hit kill attack enabled by opening the Gate of Wonder only "killed" another Clay Clone.

"We need to get back to the others now!" Tenten shouted. Guy had already rushed back to where the central tower used to be before she finished speaking, leaving her to sigh in exasperation as she played catch up.

Back at the center of the Demon Desert, Lee, Neji and Tsunade were starting to be worn down by Sasori's almost endless assault of puppets; he even went so far as to reattach chakra threads to pieces of the puppets that were already destroyed so they could be used to extend the performance. Sasori had also received the retreat order from Pain and was now only stalling for time as he waited for his partner to return and display his art which, while it would always be inferior to Sasori's, was currently the more useful style.

"Are you ready now, Deidara?" Sasori yelled, turning his head to glance at the sand to his right. A shadow clone of Deidara emerged from the sand with the Earth Style: Hidden Mole Jutsu.

"Sure am, my man, but this is the last time I ever follow your lead, yeah!"

"We'll see about that." Sasori detached all of the chakra threads, allowing the puppets to fall to the ground. His opponents saw that as the opportunity they needed to take him down, but it was already too late for them. Sasori vanished in a Body Flicker, leaving Deidara alone for his performance.

"Such fools, all of you," the Deidara shadow clone mocked Tsunade and Team Guy. "Everything you saw up until now was just the preview. The true art show is happening in this single moment. And true art...is an EXPLOSION!"

They could only stare in horror as Deidara inflated himself like a massive balloon. Tenten was the first to realize that he had turned himself into a human bomb and scrambled to construct some means of shelter from the explosion. But by the time she could unseal enough weapons to do so, a brilliant flash of light blinded her, and then everything went silent.

x-x

The Jashinist had absolutely no idea how he was going to respond to this shift in the battle. In the span of just a few seconds, Dark Naruto had successfully exploited one of his biggest weaknesses, taking advantage of the slow attack speed of the Triple-Bladed Scythe to blitz him and break the link between him and his Hyūga victim. Worse, the jinchūriki had destroyed his scythe, and with his retractable spear nowhere to be found, it was pointless to make another attempt to perform his jujutsu.

That is, if he could even get the chance to do so.

Before he could figure out how to react, Hidan found himself surrounded by a small army of shadow clones, which Dark Naruto conjured without using the needed hand seal. The rage that was in the original's eyes was magnified many times over, and for the first time in a long time, the immortal started to feel fear.

 **"This is what happens to filth who try to harm my friends,"** all of the Dark Narutos growled at once as the original picked up Hinata and tenderly stroked her hair. Not only did their voice keep ringing in Hidan's ears, it was also spoken directly to his mind.

"What the hell is this?!" Hidan yelled as he tried to jump back and fight his way out. However, not one of the blows that he managed to land as he frantically searched for a weak point to break through were strong enough to cause any of the clones to dispel. He was effectively trapped. _'When did this asshole get enough chakra to make this many shadow clones without using his bijū's chakra?'_ He kept trying to force his way out of the circle, but despite his incredible agility the circle of clones just wouldn't break.

And then his situation grew infinitely worse. The original Dark Naruto appeared in front of him, having handed off Hinata to a clone to hide her away, and the rage directed at Hidan grew exponentially stronger as a pair of chakra orbs appeared in Naruto's hands. Then three clones stepped out from the circle, also preparing the same attack as the original.

 _'Shit!'_

 **"Rasengan Barrage!"** Dark Naruto howled, slamming both orbs into Hidan's midsection and launching him towards the other three clones, who rapidly pelted their enemy with their orbs. The simultaneous impact from the clones' attacks caused Hidan's body to twist abnormally before sending him flying out of the death pit they created in this patch of desert. But even though Hidan was no longer encircled by clones, by no means was he actually free from them.

 _ **'Time to see how this bastard likes the pain from the new jutsu Yuzuki taught me,'**_ Dark Naruto thought with a malicious grin on his face, a grin accompanied by bloodlust even stronger than that which was mandated by the Jashin faith.

"You'll pay dearly for this, heathen!" Hidan yelled as he bounced back to his feet. "You won't escape from Jashin-sama and his divine judgment!"

 **"That's where you're wrong,"** Dark Naruto spat. **"See, your belief in this stupid Jashin or whoever, it's not gonna save you. Right here, right now, I am your God. And I will be the only one passing judgment."** Chakra again started building up in his hands, but this time it carried a Wind nature and was concentrated at each of his fingertips. At the same time, all of his clones also built up Wind chakra and extended their arms out, aiming the rapidly forming projectiles at the immortal.

 **"Wind Needles!"** all of the Dark Narutos shouted. Despite his agility, Hidan had absolutely no chance of avoiding any of the needles fired at him. Every single one found its mark, slicing through Hidan as though there was only air where he currently stood. Within five seconds, Hidan's Akatsuki cloak was completely shredded, and his grey pants were in a similar state of disrepair. His body was ridden with innumerable cuts along with several prominent holes in his torso. Additionally, part of his left ear had been sliced off, forcing his appearance from activating his jujutsu to revert to normal.

But what shocked Hidan the most about this barrage is not that he had been hit, much less hit so many times. It was that the injuries he racked up from the thousands of projectiles fired at him were taking longer to heal than they should have.

 _'How could this punk_ _inflict so much damage_ _? Just what in Jashin's name is he, to be able to push me this far?!'_ Hidan screamed inside his head. But he was not given even a single moment of respite as a cold and burning sensation engulfed his neck. Hidan was slammed into the sand, then lifted back up and held in the air. He looked down to find that the burning feeling was the result of direct contact with one of the tails of Naruto's chakra cloak, which now sprouted four tails.

 _'Four tails? He can control that much power from the Kyūbi? Once I get out of here I'm going to sacrifice that Zetsu prick to Jashin-sama for giving me such shitty intel!'_

However, despite being utterly helpless and internally raging over his helplessness, Hidan started to laugh maniacally. Dark Naruto, hearing this deranged laughter, began having serious doubts about this particular Akatsuki member's sanity.

"Whatcha waiting for, kid? Go on, do your worst! You can't kill me! And once Kakuzu gets done taking his time with that Nanabi bitch, you're gonna be—" Hidan was cut off by a vicious punch from a chakra arm. He screamed in pain, but was quickly silenced as the tail wrapped around his neck tightened its grip and crushed his vocal cords.

 **"Did I give you permission to speak, you piece of trash?"** Dark Naruto spat. He slammed Hidan back into the sand several times with his tail, then slammed a pair of chakra arms down on Hidan's back for good measure. He waited several seconds before lifting the Jashinist out of the sand, contemplating what his next action would be.

 **"Your immortality is actually an advantage for me. It means I can freely torture you and inflict immeasurable pain far beyond what anyone else could possibly feel, and you'll have to suffer every last second of it. Now let's see here...should I start by ripping your eyes out of their sockets?"** Dark Naruto shook his head, quickly dismissing the first idea. **"No, I want you to see everything I do to you. Perhaps a different vital organ? Maybe I'll just ignite your flesh and concentrate the flames until only your bones are left? Or would it be better to mutilate you beyond all recognition?"** He couldn't really decide how to start. He kept pushing aside thoughts as soon as they entered his head. Nothing seemed good enough for this particular scum.

At least not until Dark Naruto noticed one specific injury. Hidan's absurd healing factor had tried to repair the other wounds, but Dark Naruto quickly realized the Jashinist could not regrow an amputated limb.

 **"Ah, yes, that's perfect. Let's start by taking away your manhood. Not like you have much use for it, anyway."** Hidan's eyes widened as another of Dark Naruto's chakra tails wrapped around his legs, burning away what little was left of his clothing and exposing his genitalia. Dark Naruto flicked his left wrist to access the kunai his counterpart always kept concealed under his sleeve, then channeled Wind chakra into the kunai to increase its cutting power.

The cut lacked anything that would remotely resemble surgical precision. And it sent waves of agony rolling through Hidan as most of his penis, along with his testicles were separated from him, and the vile chakra of the Kyūbi cauterized the wound. Hidan spewed a string of profanities mixed in with intense screaming. But Dark Naruto just gave him a look that was far too similar to the expressions on his own face whenever he performed his rituals.

 **"Hey, weren't you going to try to make me beg for mercy just a few minutes ago?"** Dark Naruto taunted and lessened his chakra tail's grip on Hidan's neck. **"How about I give you the same chance? Beg. Show some humility and beg for my forgiveness, and I might just end this quickly and bury you deep under the desert to die a slow death. Whaddaya say, punk? Will you beg?"**

Predictably, Hidan's response was to take the offer and spit it in his face—and thus, was exactly the response Dark Naruto desired.

"I don't give a flying fuck if you are a jinchūriki!" Hidan howled. "I'm gonna kill you and it'll be the most—" but before he could finish, another tail forced its way down his throat, cutting off his air supply and igniting his esophagus in a cold blaze.

 **"Wrong answer."** A pair of chakra arms gripped Hidan's arms and yanked on them. Dark Naruto frowned at how resistant his enemy's body was to even the most extreme damage. It was taking much more effort than what should have been necessary to rip Hidan's arms out of his sockets. He would have to settle for slicing them off.

After about a minute of struggling, Dark Naruto heard a sickening 'pop' sound and a muffled scream from the Jashinist, indicating that his right shoulder had been dislocated. Not giving him a chance to fix the injury on his own, Dark Naruto again charged his kunai with Wind chakra and thrust it into Hidan's right armpit. He wiggled it around for several seconds, tearing a bigger hole in the shoulder, and then pulled the kunai towards him, slicing through the shoulder and leaving Hidan's arm dangling uselessly, attached only by a thread.

Satisfied with the damage and seeing that it was taking Hidan too long to repair the increasing damage, Dark Naruto then sliced open Hidan's chest, using his chakra arms to peel back the skin and reveal the immortal's rib cage. Now he wanted to know if Hidan's boasts of immortality were truly accurate, and he wanted to see if he could figure out a way to do enough damage to disprove the Jashinist's arrogant claims.

 **"Let this be a lesson to the rest of you Akatsuki bastards,"** Dark Naruto snarled as he prepared to thrust the kunai into Hidan's heart. **"No one is to touch that which is mine!"** The thrust was made...

...but it did not hit its mark.

"Lightning Style: False Darkness!" Kakuzu shouted from some distance. Dark Naruto was not able to react in time to the attack and was hit square in the chest, forcing him to drop Hidan as he was sent tumbling backwards. With only one usable arm, Hidan struggled to push himself to his feet now that he was released.

"It's about damn time, Kakuzu!" Hidan yelled, breathing heavily as his partner appeared next to him carrying the Nanabi jinchūriki over his shoulder.

"There is no time for our usual arguments, Hidan," Kakuzu said. "We must retreat at once."

"No fucking way! Don't you see what that heathen bastard did to me?!"

"That is exactly why we must obey Pain's orders and flee. Zetsu's intelligence on the Kyūbi jinchūriki was flawed, so we can no longer make a reliable estimate of his full power. Furthermore, I am not at full strength right now. The Nanabi managed to destroy one of my hearts in our fight, so even if I choose to fight the Kyūbi without any restraints on my power, I cannot guarantee a victory." Hidan's eyes widened at the admission. Despite his many arguments with his partner, he knew that if Kakuzu was showing concern it was always for a very good reason.

The two were halted from retreating when Dark Naruto rose back to his feet, appearing to be completely unaffected by Kakuzu's lightning attack. He slowly approached the Zombie Combo, stalking them like a predator does its prey. **"Ah, good. Thank you for bringing me the Seven-Tails, Kakuzu. Now if you would be so kind as to leave her here, I might consider letting you, and only you go. You see, I require her for something rather important."**

"No," Kakuzu stated flatly. "One, while I see you did some impressive damage to my partner, I am the only one who is allowed to kill him. Two, the only reason you are being spared at this time is because I was ordered to leave you be. And three, there is no amount of money you could possibly offer me that would convince me to hand over the Nanabi."

 **"That's a shame."** Dark Naruto shook his head. **"I was thinking that you might have had a place in the new world I desire to make."**

"And just what would one jinchūriki possibly want with another?"

Dark Naruto smiled. **"My goals are actually very similar to your organization's** _ **true**_ **goals. What I wish to achieve with the power of the tailed beasts is...a** _ **revolution."**_ He proceeded to walk closer to Kakuzu, who involuntarily started walking backwards. Kakuzu recognized an evil aura surrounding the Kyūbi jinchūriki, far stronger than any other aura he had ever felt in his ninety years of life.

"You...what are you?" Dark Naruto was about to give an answer to Kakuzu's question when he abruptly stopped. His light persona had finally realized what was happening and was now trying to wrest control of his body back.

 _"That's enough! I won't let you use me like this!"_ Naruto shouted at his dark half.

 _ **"Damn it, Naruto!"**_ Dark Naruto shouted back. _ **"Now is not the time! I'm doing this for your own good, y'know!"**_

 _"That's a lie! You know this isn't right! Fū is like us! I don't know what it is that you're planning to do with her but I won't let it happen, believe it!"_

 _ **"You idiot! If it wasn't for my intervention, Hinata would be dead right now! Have you not listened to a single word I've said?!"**_

 _"You're the one who isn't listening! How would Hinata react if she sees me like this?"_

 _ **"She doesn't know what's good for her either. Both of you are too young and naïve! Now give me control!"**_

"NOOOO!" Naruto screamed, gripping his head and falling to his knees. His eyes had finally reverted to their normal color as he forced both his dark half and the Kyūbi's chakra out of his system.

Kakuzu did not stick around to find out what would happen next and fled, using his tendrils to both carry the unconscious Fū and force Hidan to comply with their retreat order.

x-x

The moment the first explosions went off in the Demon Desert, Yuzuki knew something was wrong. She spotted a team of Suna Anbu rushing towards the desert and, after waiting a few minutes for them to put enough distance that she could follow without being detected, ran after them. She didn't have the necessary clearance to do what she was doing and was showing blatant disregard for Tsunade's orders for her to remain in Suna, but she had to do _something_ to ensure Naruto was safe.

Yuzuki had cursed at herself after the first explosions. This was something she should have seen coming and she felt like a fool for failing to anticipate today's events. Just like in the original timeline, the Akatsuki had been a looming threat over the Joint Chūnin Exams. However, the last time around Akatsuki had not taken the bait offered to them when Tsunade and Gaara hosted the exams, waiting until after the exams concluded to capture Fū and ignoring Gaara altogether for another year. This time, they struck. And by persuading Tsunade to allow Naruto to come here, Yuzuki might well have ruined everything and brought down the catastrophe she was here to prevent that much sooner.

The time-traveling Hyūga remained five hundred meters behind the Suna Anbu, using her Byakugan to keep tabs on them and search for any signs of Naruto and Team Eight as they traveled deeper into the desert. But before they arrived at their destination, all of the Anbu were knocked out swiftly. The movements of their assailant were too quick for Yuzuki to see, even with her Byakugan active. A moment later, Yuzuki had to shield her eyes as sand swirled around her, and the assailant—Itachi Uchiha of the Akatsuki—shimmered into view.

"You are the Hyūga woman who took custody over Naruto Uzumaki two months ago," Itachi addressed Yuzuki. She would have shown a certain degree of shock over this fateful encounter, but she was still consumed with the urgency of finding Naruto first.

"I do not have time for this discussion, Itachi-san," Yuzuki attempted to refuse him. "Naruto-kun is in danger." She tried to move past Itachi quickly, but found her movements suddenly halted as the sky turned red and the sand became ash. Despite having her dōjutsu active, Itachi had locked Yuzuki inside the Tsukuyomi. But when she turned to face Itachi, expecting to endure tremendous psychological torture, she found that he was not making any movements towards her. Moreover, she found the strangest expression in his eyes.

It was as though Itachi was curious about her.

"Interesting." Itachi blinked twice. "You do not consider me as an enemy. Forgive me for taking this extreme measure, but I cannot risk anyone overhearing our conversation. You have information I am in need of and this is the only way to ensure no one else can listen in. For now, rest assured that Naruto is not in any danger. After all, the two of you are not who you appear to be."

Yuzuki sighed deeply. Itachi was already capable of extracting whatever information he wanted from her in a matter of seconds; her only chance to get out of this alive and with her mind intact was to play along while the rogue Uchiha remained amicable. "How much did Danzō tell you? How do I know Naruto-kun is safe?"

Itachi bored his eyes into Yuzuki's as he explained, "I know that Naruto was not supposed to be here. His training journey with Jiraiya-san ended two years prematurely because of you. In regards to your decision to renounce your clan, it is not something anyone loyal to Konoha would do willingly, especially to adopt a jinchūriki who is still held in low esteem by many among the older generation. Then again, that decision would come rather easily to you considering that there were no records of your existence before you registered as a kunoichi. As for Naruto, you will just have to take my word at face value, however little that is worth."

Even though Yuzuki knew Itachi was still loyal to Konoha, this discussion was happening way too easily. But she didn't have the luxury of asking why the rogue Uchiha was being so open with her. She could only remind herself that being face-to-face with Itachi was extremely dangerous, and that if he thought she could become a threat to Sasuke or to her village, he would have her taken down.

Yuzuki sighed again, venting her frustration. "Very well. Make it quick," she said, knowing full well that no more than a few seconds would have passed in the real world by the time the Tsukuyomi ended.

"Naturally. Kisame is already growing suspicious of my absence. Now then..." Itachi's voice trailed off as he moved closer to Yuzuki and stared her down. "What is your connection to Naruto? What are your plans for him?"

Yuzuki was caught in a dilemma. Her single greatest secret (her being a time traveler) had to remain a secret at all costs, but she only had this one chance to convince Itachi that she was not a threat to Naruto and deny him an excuse to take her secrets.

"There is only one thing I have planned for Naruto-kun," she said carefully, "and that is to give him the affection he was wrongly denied. To show Naruto-kun a mother's love, to help him learn to recognize his own feelings, and also to help prepare him better for the threats he must face in the near future. But there is something more important we must address while we're here. I am grateful that you decided to confront me, Itachi-san, because you have given me a chance to speak to you about Sasuke-san."

"I figured that you might know something about my foolish little brother, Yuzuki-san. However, I did not expect you to be so forthcoming."

"There is no time for us to adhere to the shinobi rules right now." Yuzuki sighed, and as she prepared herself for another exposure, images from the vision she had the night she traveled back in time flashed through her mind. "I know that you are a double agent. I also know what really happened the night you damned yourself by slaying your clansmen, starting with your girlfriend Izumi and ending with your traitorous parents Fugaku and Mikoto."

Itachi showed no visible reaction whatsoever to Yuzuki's revelation that she had not only discovered one of Konoha's darkest secrets, but knew details that only Itachi himself or the masked man he'd worked with could have known. "Coming across that knowledge should have been impossible."

"I will not tell you how I learned of this," Yuzuki said stubbornly. "All I will do is give you my word that I will carry this secret to my grave."

While Itachi appeared to contemplate Yuzuki's promise, the tomoe of his Sharingan were whirling rapidly around his pupils. Itachi was debating whether to trust the Hyūga, or to just rip the information out of her mind before eliminating her. He ultimately decided against the latter. "Very well. Perhaps it is for the best that I do not know how you discovered this secret. However, there is one question I must still ask." Itachi paused for a few moments before elaborating, "From what I knew before your arrival, Naruto sought to show my brother the error of his ways and make him return to Konoha, either willingly or by force. However, your arrival may have caused the situation with Sasuke to change. Right now, Sasuke remains in training with Orochimaru, still falling deeper into the shadows as he trains to pursue his revenge against me. Reaching out to him will become more difficult with each passing day. Should Naruto still desire to return Sasuke to Konoha, how far are you willing to go to aid him in this endeavor?"

If this encounter had happened the night Yuzuki arrived in this timeline, her answer would have been an immediate positive. However, after everything she had learned since then she was having serious doubts about whether she should continue to pursue her secondary objective. Knowing how far Sasuke had fallen in the future, Yuzuki was no longer certain that she wanted to allow Naruto any more chances to bring the wayward Uchiha back to their village.

"Please understand, Itachi-san, that I only want what is best for Naruto-kun. If Naruto-kun decides to go after Sasuke-san, I will not stop him. However, I am not convinced that it is in his best interests to continue pursuing his friend. Naruto-kun has already suffered far too much in his life, and by chasing after Sasuke-san he will only bring upon himself more suffering. At least, that is what I believe. So you will have to forgive me for being selfish, but if Naruto-kun should decide to give up on Sasuke-san, I will not feel any sadness," Yuzuki said firmly. It was a bit harsh and more than a little selfish, to choose her own feelings over Sakura's, but then again, wasn't it Sasuke himself who said in that scroll that Yuzuki deserved to be selfish?

Itachi remained silent for several long moments, closing his eyes as he considered Yuzuki's answer. It was exactly as he'd first thought: Yuzuki's very existence had irrevocably altered his original plans. "Disappointing," he said, "but not unexpected. My responsibility towards Naruto only extends so far and is tied too closely to my duty to ensure Akatsuki does not move against Konoha. I cannot force Naruto to continue chasing after my brother. I must find another way to stop Sasuke from becoming a threat to our village." Once Itachi finished speaking, the Tsukuyomi was deactivated and Yuzuki's perception of the world returned to normal. Itachi started to turn away from Yuzuki and was about to leave; however, Yuzuki managed to startle him by pressing a chakra-coated palm against his chest, stopping just one centimeter from striking his heart. The sudden move from Yuzuki, happening right when Itachi's vision started to blur from overuse of the Mangekyō Sharingan, caught the rogue Uchiha so completely off-guard that it caused him to _deactivate his Sharingan._

"Forgive me, Itachi-san, but I cannot allow you to leave until I finish delivering my message to you," Yuzuki explained why she had lunged at Itachi right after after the Tsukuyomi ended. "There is a warning you must heed while you still live. You cannot continue to manipulate Sasuke-san as you have in the past. Your current plans for him _will_ fail. If you are to stop Sasuke-san from moving to destroy Konoha, you must come clean with him and trust in his strength while you still can. You must do away with the persona you fabricated to make him foster hate towards you. Otherwise, Sasuke's desire for revenge will only grow stronger when you die, and he will be given a new target for his revenge. The masked man who helped you kill the Uchiha Clan, the one who claims to be Madara Uchiha, will attempt to use his version of the events of that night to take the hate Sasuke-san holds in his heart and turn it against Konoha as part of his greater objectives. No matter what, you cannot allow Madara or his partner Zetsu to get to Sasuke-san. If you fail to take the correct actions now, your brother will be lost forever."

Itachi gave Yuzuki a brief nod, appearing to accept her words too quickly for her liking. He relaxed and smiled, and reactivated his Sharingan as Yuzuki lowered her palm and backed away. "You are playing a very dangerous game, Yuzuki-san, and have revealed far more about yourself than you intended. You would do well to exercise greater caution in the future."

And then he vanished, leaving only a flock of crows scattering away from where he stood and leaving Yuzuki to wonder if Itachi had figured out her greatest secret, and also if she had managed to get through to Itachi and change something in this timeline for the better, for once.

x-x

 **Editor's Note: Okay, sure, the last update didn't actually give readers a new chapter, but rather focused on fixing the previous chapters. And yes, it had also been a while between updates when Chapter 9 was split in two. And it was probably a mistake to leave an A/N placeholder where this chapter now is. Still, while the author doesn't mind this as long as he knows people are still reading, I am disappointed by the lack of new reviews.**

 **But enough of that. The chapter was very action-heavy this time, with most of the scenes being fight scenes. The next chapter should be the end of the Konoha-Suna Joint Chūnin Exams arc.**

 **Also, both the author and myself would like to make a fanfic recommendation for anyone who's still reading this story. The Flare Blade, who has helped point out and address the issues which were arising in relationship development, has his own ongoing story, titled "Because I Love You - Chasing After You". At first glance, it seems like just another retelling of canon, but The Flare Blade has managed to put his own spin on it that distinguishes it from others. Also, he has done his research, which is more than can be said for the majority of other attempts.**

 **A/N: Hi, guys. Sorry for the late update. It's been hard to write with college taking up my time, and I also had a medical emergency recently so please forgive me. Yep, the chapter was heavy on action this time around and I should point out to anyone who might be offended by certain aspects, I did rate this story M for a reason, so read at your own risk. I promise you that this is not the last dark material you will see by any means. We will be heading into a new story arc soon and it will be rather long, most likely taking up most if not all of the rest of the story. But it will have more action, drama, angst, tragedy, and yes, romance. So buckle up, people. It's gonna be a bumpy ride.**

 **Please do check out the fanfic by The Flare Blade called, "Because I Love You – Chasing After You" as it is a very interesting tale and I'm sure many of you shall enjoy it. Please review more; I was a little disappointed by the lack of reviews from the last update. I don't make any money off writing this, so I need to know your thoughts to stay motivated!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Changing Tides**

Tenten was left totally confused by what just happened. One second, she, her teammates and the Hokage and Kazekage were about to meet a fiery death from an explosion she could not possibly hope to escape or shield against. The next, she found that the explosion was getting sucked into a black void that had appeared right where Deidara had been before he blew himself up.

"How..." she struggled to say as the heat dissipated and the sky returned to normal.

"It's a power of my Mangekyō Sharingan," the source of that void answered. A few seconds later, Tenten saw Kakashi walk out of the crater left behind by the explosion. "Sorry I'm late, everyone."

"No, you actually got here just in time, Kakashi-san," Tsunade replied, forcing herself back onto her feet.

"Tsunade-sama. Mind telling me what happened here?"

"Now isn't the time. Gaara, Lee, Neji and myself are all in need of immediate medical attention."

Kakashi nodded. "Of course. Guy, are you alright?"

"If it isn't my eternal rival!" Guy shouted. "Kakashi-kun, it looks like I win this latest contest by default."

"I suppose. But first things first. We need to get back to Suna and only you and Tenten are still able to walk."

"Forgive me, everyone," Neji spoke up, wrapping his forehead protector around his eyes. "I was not able to deactivate my Byakugan in time. The flash from Deidara's self-destruction overloaded my eyes and now I will likely remain blind for the next several days. I have been reduced to a burden."

"Guy-sensei, I too have failed you by allowing myself to get injured in that fight," Lee said, his voice wracked with agony as he gripped his leg. "Once I recover, I will need to undergo more rigorous training as punishment."

"There will be no punishments inflicted on anyone here for this!" Tsunade snapped, causing Lee and Guy to flinch and Tenten to breath a sigh of relief. "Your three genin performed better against those S-rank criminals than I did, Guy," she gritted through her teeth, and Guy nodded at that. Tsunade then gripped Kakashi's flak jacket and said, "Listen carefully, Kakashi-san. Both Lee and I are infected with a metallic poison, possibly a neurotoxin, that Sasori uses with all of his puppets and other weapons. The poison takes three days to kill its victims, and Suna does not have an antidote for it. By the time you get us to Suna's hospital, we'll both be unconscious and paralyzed. After we arrive, I'll need you to find Sakura and bring her to the hospital so she can extract the poison and synthesize the antidote."

"Understood." Kakashi carefully secured Tsunade onto her back while Tenten struggled to get a stubborn Neji to agree to a piggyback ride to Suna, and Guy picked up both Lee and Gaara, carrying them under his arms.

Luckily, when they arrived at the hospital about twenty-five minutes later Kakashi and Guy found out that no one else from the Demon Desert had been admitted so far, which made it that much easier to get the others into intensive care. Tsunade and Gaara were carried off to the maximum security ward; the latter had sustained a skull fracture and was bleeding internally, and was in more dire need of aid. Lee and Neji were carried off to the regular ER, Lee being strapped down to his bed and in great agony from the poison's attacks on his muscles. Kakashi did not stick around any longer than necessary to make sure the hospital staff did not attempt to begin treatments on Tsunade or Lee before he brought Sakura there.

When he left the hospital, the first place Kakashi checked was the hotel where all thirty of the competing genin teams had originally been booked. Gaara's orders had been to return all of the teams to that hotel, and keep them there until further notice. This turned out to be another lucky break for the Copy Ninja. Team Ino-Saku-Chō was already inside the lobby, and was in fact the only team thus far besides Team Guy to have made it back to Suna.

"Sakura, I need to get you to the hospital right away," Kakashi said with great urgency, tightly grabbing onto Sakura's wrist. "Tsunade-sama and Lee were badly poisoned and there isn't any antidote in existence for the poison. As Tsunade's apprentice, you're the only person in this village who is capable of saving their lives."

"Then why are we still here?" Exactly five seconds later, she found herself right outside the room where Tsunade was kept, courtesy of Kakashi's Body Flicker.

"Isn't that girl one of the genin who was in the exams?" one of the doctors questioned Kakashi upon his return. "What is she doing here?"

Kakashi gripped the doctor's coat and said, "Sakura is the favored apprentice of Tsunade-sama. That automatically makes her a more competent medic than everyone working at this hospital. Tsunade-sama specifically requested Sakura's talents to cure the poison, so let her do her job." It was a low blow, but coming from Kakashi it was effective enough at achieving the desired result. All of the staff backed away from Sakura as she positioned herself next to Tsunade's bed.

"What kind of mess did you get into this time, Tsunade-shishō," Sakura quietly muttered as her hand started glowing blue. A few seconds later, she located the point on Tsunade's stomach where the poison had entered her system, and used her Chakra Scalpel to make a small incision there.

"I need everyone here to help restrain Tsunade-sama," Sakura told the medical staff. "Also, I need a bucket filled with a special medicinal fluid so I can extract the poison and use it to synthesize an antidote. What I'm going to do is a very crude way of treating the infection, but it's our only option." She handed one of the doctors a small paper with the exact solution she needed for the fluid written down, and he rushed out of the room to prepare the solution as everyone else moved closer to Tsunade's bed, prepared to keep her restrained to the bed. A few minutes later, the doctor Sakura sent to prepare the fluid returned and set the bucket down next to her.

"Poison Extraction Jutsu," Sakura whispered. The chakra around her hands turned green as she levitated the fluid over the incision. Almost right away, Tsunade moaned in pain and thrashed violently as her apprentice coaxed the poison out of her heart tissue and forced it out of her body. It took every ounce of strength possessed by Kakashi and the doctors and nurses present to keep Tsunade restrained as Sakura performed the jutsu.

Several agonizing minutes later, the last of the poison that the jutsu was capable of extracting was trapped inside the fluid, which Sakura dumped back inside the bucket. Tsunade's condition was already improving, but she still needed an antidote before she could make a full recovery.

"That takes care of the first step," Sakura said. "Now take me to Lee-san so I can repeat the procedure on him, and after that, take me to your labs." The doctor who had prepared the fluid for Sakura nodded and led her and Kakashi out of the room and towards her second patient, where she again used her iryōjutsu to extract the poison.

But the worst of their ordeals was still yet to come...

x-x

 _Six hours after the Demon Desert Disaster_

A very frustrated Yuzuki forced herself to turn around and return to Suna. The past several hours had been spent trying to locate Naruto and Team Eight, but the sandstorm caused by the Akatsuki's attack greatly hindered her blessed sight and she had not been able to find them, and now the sun had fallen below the horizon. Despite her handicaps, she had wanted to continue searching, but forced herself to trust that Tsunade would have more information than she would get by staying out here on her own.

When Yuzuki returned to the village, which was now engulfed in the sandstorm, she saw that most of the teams had been accounted for. But there was still no sight of Naruto or her younger self. _'Where are they?'_

"What do you mean we can't look for them?!" a familiar voice shouted. Yuzuki turned the corner to investigate and found that Kiba, Shino and Akamaru were in a heated argument with a Suna Anbu who was blocking their exit from the hotel. Knowing that Naruto and Hinata were not with them, Yuzuki did not need to guess why they were arguing.

"Kazekage-sama ordered a full-scale evacuation of the Demon Desert," the Anbu tried to explain. "All recovered genin teams who were participating in the exams are to remain in their assigned quarters and await further instructions. There are specific protocols that must be followed in crises such as this. Besides, what could you possibly hope to achieve by returning there besides getting yourselves killed? The outside temperature is dropping rapidly and the sandstorm shows no signs of abating anytime soon."

"Our teammates are still out there, jackass! You're just going to let them fend for themselves in that godforsaken desert?!" Kiba howled. Akamaru barked angrily in agreement with Kiba.

"Calm down, Kiba," Shino advised. "Your continued yelling will not help our situation, nor will it help Naruto-san or Hinata-san." Kiba was about to relent when he caught sight of the two members of the Taki team in his peripheral vision. Both Kegon and Yōrō had stayed completely silent after the Anbu of Suna interrupted their fight against Kiba and Shino. From the way they were acting right now, it didn't seem like they gave a damn about the mint-haired girl who was on their team and didn't make it out of the desert.

"And what about you two?" Kiba demanded of the Taki duo. "Don't you care that that girl is out there right now?" Their continued silence only made him even more angry, as he interpreted it as the two feeling indifferent. "Fine. I'll go out there by myself if I have to. Shino, are you coming?"

"I told you that no unnecessary personnel are permitted to be outside until the sandstorm subsides," the Suna Anbu objected. "Did you not listen?"

"And _I_ told _you_ that my teammates are still in that storm and I am _not_ going to leave them behind! So just try to stop me!"

"Alright, that's enough!" a new voice shouted. Everyone present outside the hotel turned to see Baki escorting Shikamaru and Temari, the latter holding her war fan in her hand and looking very pissed off.

"We need the four of you to come with us," Baki told Kiba, Shino, Kegon and Yōrō. "Hokage-sama needs to speak with you immediately regarding what happened in the Demon Desert." Baki turned to leave as the quartet reluctantly obeyed the summons; however, Yuzuki quickly halted his departure.

"Wait, Baki-san!" Yuzuki said, desperation clearly written in her eyes. "Do you know where Naruto-kun and Hinata-chan are?"

Baki sighed, betraying his frustration over the continued failure to locate the missing pair. "It would be in your best interests to accompany us as well, Yuzuki-san."

Yuzuki, predictably, reacted poorly to the tone of Baki's voice. "What's going on, Baki-san?"

"This whole mess is a serious drag," Shikamaru answered instead. "We can't explain until we're in a secured location. Now let's go, everyone, and don't get lost on the way there. There's a lot we need to discuss."

x-x

The walk to the hospital did nothing to improve the moods of anyone who was being escorted, especially Kiba and Yuzuki. Both of them believed they should still be in the desert, searching for Naruto and Hinata until they are found. For Kiba, it was simple: they were part of his pack, and an Inuzuka does not leave any pack members behind. Yuzuki felt the same, but she had the added complication of needing to keep her origins secret at all costs.

The group walked inside a small room located in the maximum security ward, used only for prisoners and individuals of high importance such as Kage. Aside from those who had just arrived, the room only had Tsunade, her bodyguards, Sakura, Kakashi, and a nurse who was checking on Tsunade's current condition but left when she saw the new arrivals. When one of them asked about Gaara's whereabouts, Sakura answered that he had sustained heavy injuries during the Akatsuki attack and was being kept inside a similar room down the hall while he recovered.

"Everyone please, take a seat," Tsunade said, her voice still a bit raspy. "What I have to say will not be easy for you to hear." Once they all either found a chair to sit in, or a wall to lean against, Shino led off with one of the thoughts that was on all of their minds.

"Hokage-sama," Shino said, "just what the hell happened out there?"

Tsunade grimaced and clenched her teeth. "All of this is my fault. I was practically begging the Akatsuki to attack us today! How could I have done something so stupid?"

"What Hokage-sama is talking about is the plan she and Kazekage-sama had developed prior to the exams," Shikamaru explained. "They wanted to lure out the Akatsuki using Kazekage-sama as bait, since he is the jinchūriki for the Ichibi. However, there were two unforeseen complications. The first was Takigakure's decision to allow their jinchūriki, Fū, to participate in the exams. And the second was a crisis in Konoha that forced Hokage-sama to allow Naruto to enter, so he would be away from the village while the crisis was addressed. Seeing that there were three jinchūriki in one place, all of them vulnerable, Akatsuki sprung the trap we laid for them with more power than we were prepared to combat."

"Wait, three?" Kiba asked. "Are you telling us that Naruto is one of these 'jinchūriki' as well?"

Tsunade sighed deeply. "While I had planned to tell you this in light of recent events, Kiba, you and the rest of the Konoha Eleven weren't supposed to find out until either you were promoted to chūnin rank or higher, or Naruto himself decided to tell you. But the truth is..." and she went on to explain what little was known about the events that transpired the night Naruto was born. Kiba and Sakura both were shocked to learn about what was done to Naruto and why he was treated so horribly by the people of Konoha during his childhood. Shino did not seem as surprised as they were, while Yuzuki (who, unbeknownst to the other genin already knew about Naruto being a jinchūriki)...

All of the others stopped whatever it was they were about to say or do and turned to face Yuzuki when they heard her sobbing. But she was also expressing a powerful anger in her moistened eyes. If Yuzuki had known that this was the reason Tsunade and Gaara had hosted the Konoha-Suna Joint Chūnin Exams, she would have forbade Naruto from attending, despite the Danzō problem in Konoha.

"How could you?!" Yuzuki howled.

"Calm down, Yuzuki!" Tsunade snapped at her. "As bad as this sounds—"

"Calm down? _Calm down?!_ Naruto-kun and Hinata-chan are still out there either struggling to survive or worse, taken captive by the Akatsuki, and you have the audacity to tell me to calm down and stay here wasting time by just _talking_ about it?!" she screeched, blowing the others' predictions of her reaction out of the water.

"There is nothing we can do at this time! The sandstorm is interfering with radio communication and making it nigh-impossible to locate anyone who's still stranded. As soon as the storm ends, scouting teams will be sent back out into the Demon Desert to find them, but for now, you have to trust that they can pull through this on their own!"

"Forgive me, Tsunade-sama, but I am finding it increasingly difficult to trust you after you deliberately put them in this danger!"

"I know that and I—" but Tsunade did not get to finish what she was about to say. She coughed violently and leaned over the bed's railing, looking for a trash receptacle into which she could spew out any infected fluids her body might try to eject.

"Your body hasn't fully recovered from the poison Sasori hit you with, Tsunade-shishō! You should be resting, not holding this debriefing!" Sakura chided her.

"I'll be fine, Sakura. The antidote you concocted is doing its job. This is something that can't wait."

"Now, now, everyone, as difficult as this sounds we need you to clear your heads for just a little while," Kakashi spoke up. "Naruto, Hinata, and the rest of you have all been trained to cope with severe conditions such as this. That training will kick in, and they will be fine when we find them. However," and his voice turned dark as he turned to the two jōnin from Taki, "I believe I speak for everyone when I demand to know why Fū isn't here."

Kegon and Yōrō lowered their heads in shame. "We were some distance away from Fū-san when the battle started," Kegon explained. "Fū-san has a habit of disregarding orders when she gets bored. During the first sandstorm, we were locked in combat against Inuzuka and Aburame, attempting to acquire their Earth scroll and complete the second stage as quickly as possible. Fū-san did send a transmission asking us for help, but," and he paused to remove his upper layers of clothing, revealing heavy bruising that had not been inflicted by Kiba or Shino, "by the time the transmission was received, Suna Anbu had already arrived at our location and forced us to retreat. We tried to explain that our teammate was of greater priority, but they responded violently to our resistance."

"Great," Tsunade muttered. "Both Suna and Taki's elite are totally incompetent."

"Their story is accurate," Shino piped in. "The Anbu and Exploration Corps were very forceful about removing us from the desert as soon as the evacuation orders had been issued. Even if they had allowed us to search for our teammates, the sandstorm was too great a hindrance on our ability to track them down, leaving us no choice but to fall back."

"Well, I, for one think it was a bit hasty for Gaara to order the evacuation," Temari said.

"No, Kazekage-sama did what he thought was best and it turned out to be the right decision," Shikamaru countered. "One of the Akatsuki members present there was the former member of Iwa's Explosion Corps, Deidara. One of the explosives he used was large enough that it threw the ecosystem of the Demon Desert out of whack and very nearly killed most of the people who were still there when it went off. It's a damn miracle there weren't any deaths caused by the blast."

"For now, every genin present here except Sakura is to return to the hotel and wait there until morning. I will give you your next orders then," Tsunade said.

"But—" Yuzuki tried to protest.

"Leave now! That's an order, Yuzuki!"

Yuzuki stomped towards the door and screamed, then slammed the door shut on her way out. Everyone still inside the room was stunned speechless by her behavior. It was the first time any of them had ever seen, much less heard of a Hyūga throwing such a temper tantrum. And there would definitely be consequences later.

"Well...that just happened," Kiba said awkwardly after almost a full minute of silence.

Tsunade rubbed her temples and groaned. "If I wasn't bedridden by this damn poison, I would be out there looking for them myself," she confessed too late.

"Then why won't you let us go out and keep trying?!" Kiba demanded. From outside the room, Akamaru barked angrily.

"My orders still stand, Kiba. Return to the hotel now, or I'll have you spend the night in whatever passes for a prison in this village." Kiba was about to cuss Tsunade out, but Shino grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room, much to Tsunade's relief. Once they left, she turned to face the Taki jōnin and said in a darker tone, "I ought to send both of you back in body bags. Be grateful that I'm letting you live after you failed to protect your village's jinchūriki. You'll be escorted back to Taki by several Konoha jōnin, who will deliver a scroll to Shigure-san explaining what happened here today. Your fates will be left in his hands. Raido, Aoba, get these two imbeciles out of my sight," the Fifth ordered her bodyguards.

Once they left, Tsunade sighed deeply. It was now just her, Sakura, Kakashi, Shikamaru, Temari and Baki present here, though that would change in a few moments. "Temari-san, Baki-san, I'm trusting you to keep what you're about to hear next between us and Kazekage-dono. And while I'm not happy with Yuzuki-san's outburst, I'm glad she decided to leave on her own. Otherwise we would have had to struggle to make her leave." A few seconds later, the door opened and Asuma and Kurenai walked in.

"Asuma-san, Kurenai-san, let's hear your report."

x-x

Physically, Naruto appeared to be unconscious. Yet he was anything but comatose as a war raged inside his mindscape. Dark Naruto was viciously attacking him, punishing him for interfering in the fight against Hidan and Kakuzu and denying him the Seven-Tailed Armored Beetle.

 **"What the hell were you thinking?!"** Dark Naruto shouted, slugging Naruto again. Naruto stumbled back and tripped over himself.

"What the hell were _you_ thinking?!" Naruto shouted back. "It's wrong to think you can control my body whenever you want! I know what you said about my whole life being a lie and my ideals being stupid and that I should give up on it, but I will NOT let you turn me into a monster!"

Dark Naruto grabbed his counterpart by the collar and slammed him into one of the sewer walls. **"Listen, kid. The whole world** _ **already**_ **thinks you're a monster. Despite everything you try to do to change their minds, that won't change. How many times do I have to scream this into your thick head before you figure it out?!"**

"What do you even want with the tailed beasts, anyway? Gonna go off like a loose cannon and become just like the Akatsuki? Oh yeah, I'm sure Hinata will _really_ like that," Naruto said sarcastically. Dark Naruto dropped him to the sewer floor and started pacing back and forth, running his hands through his hair.

 _ **'This kid is gonna be harder to control than I thought. No matter. He just needs the proper incentive to submit. Arguing with him is like arguing with a ton of bricks; it gets me nowhere. But find the right way to break his mind and his heart, and that ton of bricks will fall over.'**_ Dark Naruto took a deep breath and walked back over to face his light half.

 **"As I said before, Hinata is too young and naïve to understand what I hope to accomplish. As are you, but let's not talk about that right now. It's a bit too early to put my plan into action anyway. But let me tell you something I learned, Naruto. Often times, the greater good requires necessary evils. The jinchūriki are meant to serve a greater purpose than just being used as weapons of war. Fū isn't the only one that gets captured; she was merely the first. Or maybe the second; I don't know if they captured Han before going after her. But she won't be their last victim. The Akatsuki tried to capture Gaara today as well. They may have failed this time, but they will succeed in the future. Make no mistake, Naruto; the Akatsuki will succeed in capturing all of the tailed beasts, even yours."**

Naruto was unnerved by this latest revelation from his dark half. However, after some of the other things that Dark Naruto had said, this was not terribly unexpected, and he already had a response to it. "So let's just warn everyone! If Tsunade-bā-chan and Gaara know what's gonna happen, they can do something to prevent it! But you're making it sound like it's a good thing that Fū is gonna die! Why do you even want to extract her tailed beast?"

 **"Do you honestly expect them to believe you?"** Dark Naruto completely ignored Naruto's demands to know why Fū had to die. **"Come on, Naruto. You should know by now how little weight your word carries with the people of Konoha."**

"That's not true! Ero-sennin, Bā-chan, Gaara, Sakura-chan, they all trust me!"

Dark Naruto flinched at his counterpart continuing to address the Uchiha's bitch with the affectionate honorific. He wanted to smack Naruto each time he heard his light half say 'Sakura-chan' but reined in his anger, knowing that further violence would not achieve his ends. _**'We'll have to work on that later.'**_ **"Tell me, if these people trust and put so much faith in you, why is it Kakashi chose to train the Uchiha instead of you?"**

"He had no choice! Gaara was gonna kill—"

 **"Why did Jiraiya take you away from the village for what would have been three years if Yuzuki hadn't intervened?"** Dark Naruto interrupted. **"Why is it that even now you are under constant surveillance from Konoha Anbu despite everything you've done to prove your loyalty? And why is Sakura still so condescending towards you? Last I recall, she called you stupid yesterday morning!"**

"Quit twisting Sakura-chan's words! And quit telling me those Anbu watching me is a bad thing! I know it's because they have to do it to protect me!"

 **"Is it? Or is it actually because they're afraid of you?"**

Naruto stopped and the look on his face showed shock and hurt. "N-no! They, they trust me, they're my friends! Why would they be afraid of me?"

 **"I believe you saw me kick a so-called immortal's ass when I took control of your body earlier. That's your hidden potential, Naruto, and they are right to fear it. Fear manifests in many forms. For most of the village, their fear is accompanied by hatred. The Third Hokage thought their scorn would make you break and turn against the village, so he did what he could to persuade as many of the adults as possible to rise above that hate and not pass it down to their children.**

 **"Even Iruka hated you at first. Until you saved him the night you failed the graduation exam for the third time, he was going to keep holding you back, and not because you struggled in the Academy. It was because of what you are. And don't think Iruka is the only one of your friends the old man had to convince. Jiraiya, Tsunade, and everyone else who started acknowledging you after the Academy, they all were forced to adopt his will."**

"That's a damn lie! Stop fucking lying to me!" Naruto jumped back up and slammed a palm thrust into his dark half's solar plexus, forcing him back a little, then fell back down on the sewer floor. "Even if that were true, what about Sasuke? He wasn't like them! He never feared or hated me!"

 **"Oh, please! Sasuke-chan hates you more than everyone else does! He knows you're the only one who's capable of beating him. He only spared your life on a whim the last time you fought after you** _ **let**_ **him beat you! Remember what he said in that fight: the Uchiha have to kill their closest friends to gain power! Don't think he won't try to kill you again the next time you meet! Besides, he's a bad actor, but you're worse at recognizing a terrible act. If you** _ **still**_ **doubt me, look at what he did to the future after you died."**

Naruto buried his face in his knees. "No...you're still lying! All you ever do is lie! They're my...my..."

 **"Your friends?"** Dark Naruto sneered. When there was no reply, he kicked his light half back down and stood towering over him. But that last kick had not been out of anger, but pity. Despite all that had conspired to bring them to this point, Dark Naruto actually pitied his counterpart. He was the manifestation of Naruto's negative emotions, after all; pity and regret were not alien to him. Part of him regretted doing this as well, if only because he thought he might be going too far. Any changes he affected on his younger self affected him as well, and if he did too much to break Naruto's spirit...

Dark Naruto shook his head and looked down on his counterpart. **"You are a fool, Naruto Uzumaki. And that foolishness will cost you everything you love."**

The darkness snapped his fingers, causing a ghostly image to appear in front of Naruto. The vision was of none other than Hinata, lying atop Naruto and snuggling with him. The image invoked a strong enough reaction that Naruto was finally beginning to piece together his dark side's message.

"What are you saying?" Naruto asked.

Dark Naruto dropped down to one knee and looked himself in the eyes. eyes which had become the same red irides and black sclerae as his. The smile he gave his younger self could almost be considered pure, if he wasn't completely evil. **"It's time you stopped lying to yourself, Naruto. Stop playing this game of idols and heroes. What is it that you really want? What is it, no,** _ **who**_ **is it that you love?"**

Tears streamed down Naruto's face as he hugged the image of Hinata, and Dark Naruto vanished. "I...I love..."

x-x

Back in real time, Hinata awakened to discover the sun had set and the surrounding air felt cold. The sandstorm she had fought in was now more violent than it had been in the afternoon. While her sudden loss of consciousness and strange nightmare unnerved her, she had to shake it off and find her teammates, and from there, figure out their next move. Finding Naruto didn't take her long at all, since he was buried in the sand next to her and also appeared to have fallen unconscious. Kiba and Shino, however, could not be located by her blessed sight.

 _'Was it Fū-san who did this?'_ Hinata wondered, having no way of knowing what actually happened after she collapsed. _'Where's Kiba-kun and Shino-kun? Did we lose our scroll to that team?'_ Thankfully for Hinata, she still had the goggles Shino gave her to protect her eyesight, which let her keep her Byakugan active, but she had to get Naruto to a shelter and fast.

"Naruto-kun? Naruto-kun, wake up! Please wake up!" Hinata pleaded with Naruto, shaking him until he woke up, but it was to no avail. Looking at his chakra network, Hinata saw that his coils were depleted and he was suffering from the usual symptoms of chakra exhaustion. She realized that Naruto must have put up a hard fight to protect her and felt more guilty than ever for passing out.

 _'I shouldn't have fainted like that. Naruto-kun won't be promoted now and it's my fault for fainting when he needed me by his side.'_ Sighing deeply, Hinata lifted Naruto up into a fireman carry and started walking towards where she believed was the center of the desert, keeping her Byakugan active the entire walk. During her walk, she contemplated the meaning of the nightmare which afflicted her.

 _'That nightmare felt so real. It wasn't really like a nightmare, but more like...a memory?'_ Hinata couldn't even begin to imagine how that was possible. But contemplating the possibility that it was sent her back to the day before she reunited with Naruto, when she'd had that strange moment of weakness during her training with Kiba and Shino. Today's incident had felt just like that moment, except one hundred times worse. Then she remembered what had happened when she met Yuzuki just before meeting Naruto, and the feelings she felt when she fainted then had been similar. _'What is going on with me? It's like someone is trying to get inside my head.'_ She had no idea how right that conclusion was as she continued her trek towards the central tower.

When she arrived at the tower two hours later, the sandstorm had started to grow weaker, but to her shock Hinata saw that the tower was in ruins. She dropped Naruto and gasped, covering her mouth with both hands.

"What in the world happened here?" Hinata asked herself. All around her, there was evidence of a deadly battle: shards of glass, charred cacti, piles of shattered wood and metal, and lingering evidence of some of the jutsu which had been utilized to cause the destruction she saw around her. The level of destruction which had occurred here could have only been caused by Kage-level ninja. Hinata wanted to find somewhere else to take cover, but the outside temperature was still dropping and she had used too much energy making it here. Plus, Naruto had begun to stir and was groaning in pain, and her visual range had decreased greatly.

 _'I can't go any farther. Naruto-kun needs to rest and I'm running low on chakra too.'_ Searching around her, Hinata found a minor miracle among the rubble in the form of two sections of the tower that had fallen in just the right way to create a makeshift tent. She quickly dragged Naruto inside, then went back out to gather the wood debris—which looked like it was from a puppet—and set it in a pile at the entrance of the stone tent. Luckily, the walls were thick enough that the wind would not force its way inside. Afterward, she took out the flint that was in her supply pack and used it to ignite the wood. With a heat source now burning, Hinata unsealed a sleeping bag from one of the remaining scrolls in her pack and gently pushed Naruto inside, who moaned a little and muttered something she couldn't make out. Her next step was to take one of their canteens and soak a rag, and place it on Naruto's head to ward off a fever. Lastly, she spent about an hour helping Naruto slowly ingest the remaining water in that canteen along with a ration bar, to help him regain his energy faster.

With those tasks finished, Hinata curled up next to the fire and stared into it for a long while. There was just too much information for her to take in and she didn't know what she was supposed to do. On top of the crushing guilt she felt for knowing she was the reason Naruto would not earn the chūnin rank he deserved, the central tower was in ruins and her heart and mind were weighed down by the images she had seen. But what affected Hinata the most was the part of the nightmare where the dying Naruto had kissed her.

 _'Is that the only way I'll ever be with Naruto-kun? Some tragic, misguided final attempt_ _by Naruto-kun_ _to find the love he's been denied his whole life? No one else is willing to give Naruto-kun the love he needs, and my love won't reach him because he's looking in every direction but mine. Unless, of course, he is dying.'_ Tears started falling down Hinata's cheeks as that part of the nightmare continued haunting her. _'This is so unfair. Naruto-kun deserves so much better. It's unfair to him that he can't have love...and...it's unfair to me that I can't give him that love...'_ Realizing that she had just thought something selfish, Hinata halted those thoughts. Was she really only lamenting the tragedy of Naruto's life, or was this going to turn into a pity party for herself?

Hinata looked over at Naruto's sleeping form. He still looked like he was in so much pain, and not just physical pain. She saw the signs of heartache on his face, signs he tried his hardest to keep hidden from everyone else. Then, before she could stop herself, she started crawling towards Naruto.

 _'No! What am I doing?'_ she asked herself, but was no longer in control of her body. Her longing for Naruto had taken over as she looked down on him and brushed aside some of the locks of his hair. Then she closed her eyes and slowly inched closer to his face.

 _'Just let me be selfish this one time...'_ Hinata was just about to kiss Naruto when he stirred in his sleep, ruining it all. Realizing what she had been about to do, Hinata ran out into the sandstorm and cried, releasing the frustration that had built up inside her for over a year. She was extremely angry with herself. In her desperation to be with Naruto, she had resorted to taking advantage of him while he was weakened! She felt so disgusting and pathetic, and allowed the storm to batter her for some time before she had no choice but to return inside the shelter.

Physically and emotionally exhausted, Hinata curled up beside the fire once more and tried to force herself to sleep. But just as her eyes closed, Naruto started talking.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked, his eyes opening for just a brief moment. Hinata was about to answer, but Naruto denied her that chance when he went on, "oh...it's just you, Yuzuki. Sorry, Yuzuki. I thought you were Hinata for a moment...you two look so similar. Hinata's always been there for me whenever I needed her, y'know?" Hinata gasped. Naruto thought she was actually Yuzuki? She had no idea how she was supposed to respond to that.

"Hey, Yuzuki?" Naruto continued speaking in his delirious state. "I need your help with something. There's this longing feeling I'm having...this desire to be with someone. It's stronger than anything I've ever felt before. But I don't know...what to do or what to say. Because this feeling...it hurts so much, Yuzuki." Hinata, unable to stop Naruto, felt him wrap his arms around her. She still didn't know what to do, or how to tell Naruto that she wasn't Yuzuki.

And then Naruto spoke the words that would later become a turning point in both their lives.

"Please help me, Yuzuki. Please take away this feeling...and make me stronger...because I'm so hopeless...I can't stop myself from loving...Hinata..."

x-x

Back at the secured room in the hospital, Asuma was leaning against a wall next to Kakashi, wishing he could light up a cigarette, while Kurenai unfolded a chair and seated herself next to Tsunade and Sakura. Baki was the first to speak after their arrival: "What is this, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade sighed, wishing that Kurenai had smuggled in some of the stronger brands of saké she preferred. Or a bottle of vodka, which was Kurenai's favorite kind of alcohol. It didn't matter which, as long as it got Tsunade drunk. "Six and a half weeks ago, one of my village's elders, Danzō Shimura, confronted me with information regarding Yuzuki-san. Most of you, including Temari-san, know that officially Yuzuki Hyūga does not exist." Baki raised both eyebrows, indicating a deep interest in knowing how that was possible. "At least not according to any medical records anywhere in Konoha, and everyone here knows that the Hyūga Clan does not permit anyone in the clan to give birth outside Konoha."

"With that in mind, Tsunade-sama asked Asuma-kun and I to travel to the Fire Capital as part of her investigation into Danzō's activities," Kurenai said. "Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama believed that Danzō was controlling the Fire Daimyō with a genjutsu."

"I know this is way above my pay grade, Tsunade-shishō, but since I'm still here, after everything else that's happened, is it not possible for you to tell me what's going on?" Sakura asked. Tsunade motioned for Asuma to answer her apprentice's question.

"Sakura, you have to understand something. The mission Hokage-sama sent me and Kurenai-chan on would be considered an act of sedition, if not a willful act of treason, against the Daimyō and potentially an act of war against the Land of Fire itself. The Daimyō is not to be trifled with, Sakura. All he has to do is issue a single order and he can have any village he wants destroyed."

"But Naruto is involved in all of this and he's my teammate!" Sakura protested. "Shouldn't I have a right to know about anything that concerns that knucklehead? I didn't even know Yuzuki-san had adopted him until after I analyzed her blood sample."

"Sakura, I know this is frustrating, but you have to trust that I know what I'm doing," Tsunade said.

"Then tell me who Yuzuki-san is! Why does she care so much about Naruto? Why is she living with him? But most importantly, why does he trust her so much?"

"Sakura-chan," Kurenai said, "there isn't a single person alive who can give you a good answer to that question."

"And why not?"

"Because we don't know ourselves," Kakashi answered.

"If you're all still in the dark about Yuzuki-san, then why did you even allow her to take custody of Naruto in the first place?" Temari demanded more than asked.

"Because despite all of our misgivings about her, she is one of only a handful of people in the entire Land of Fire who has shown Naruto unconditional kindness without him needing to prove himself," Tsunade answered. "She genuinely, strongly cares about Naruto. Not only that, her mere presence unnerved Danzō enough to get him to expose himself as a traitor, and that alone makes it worth it."

"I wouldn't be so quick to say that, Hokage-sama," Asuma objected. "For now, we need to put all discussion about Yuzuki-san on the back burner. The information we picked up during our mission is more damning than we first thought."

Tsunade sighed deeply. "Alright, Asuma-san. Were you able to confirm whether or not Danzō was controlling the Daimyō?" she asked.

Asuma shook his head. "Negative. And we'll never be able to find out, because the Daimyō is dead."

"What?!" the entire room sans Kurenai and Asuma yelled out at once.

"After sneaking into his castle, we found Daimyō-sama dead in his chambers," Asuma explained. "He was assassinated in his sleep. Poor bastard."

"Why haven't any of the other nations heard about the assassination?" Baki inquired. "If what you say is true, Asuma-san, word should have spread quickly and the Land of Fire should be falling into a crisis."

"No...it can't be..." Tsunade whispered. After what Baki just pointed out, she felt that her infamous bad luck was about to get even worse.

"Now what's going on?" Shikamaru wondered.

 **"Get in contact with Shizune-chan immediately! Is Danzō still incapacitated?!"** the Slug Princess yelled, almost jumping out of bed. Sakura had to restrain her from moving any further.

"Calm down, Tsunade-shishō!" Sakura snapped at her. "Or do you want to let Sasori's poison do more damage to you before it's completely flushed out of your system?"

"I can't calm down, Sakura! There's no way Danzō isn't behind this!"

"There is no evidence to support that claim even if there is the slightest chance it's true," Asuma said. "Whoever the killer was, they left absolutely no evidence behind that could be used to determine their identity."

"The killer hit several tenketsu in rapid succession, causing extensive internal damage," Kurenai explained. "The common consensus from anyone performing an autopsy on his body would be that only a Hyūga could achieve such a feat."

"Danzō is trying to frame Yuzuki-san for the assassination," Sakura said what everyone collectively realized.

"Who among the Hyūga would side with Danzō?" Kakashi asked. "Even Hiashi wouldn't stoop so low as to form an alliance with him."

"As easy as it would be for Danzō to acquire a Hyūga as one of his slaves, it wasn't a Hyūga who murdered the Daimyō," Kurenai said. "We couldn't find any signs of chakra poisoning which we'd expect to see from a Hyūga attack. What we're looking for is someone who possesses above average ability in taijutsu and an extensive knowledge of the chakra network and the human anatomy, insufficient to utilize in combat situations, but perfect for assassination missions. The assassin could be literally anyone in Root."

"But why go so far just to pin this high crime on Yuzuki-san? This isn't making any sense!" Temari shouted.

"You have to remember that Naruto-kun is Konoha's jinchūriki," Kurenai pointed out. "Danzō views Yuzuki-san as a threat to his designs on Naruto-kun. We all know how much Danzō wants to conscript Naruto-kun into Root and have full control over his power. But for him to go this far..." Kurenai let her voice trail off for a moment, then took a deep breath, both to be sure of the conclusion she reached and to make it sink in more effectively when she said it to the others.

"Danzō believes from the bottom of his black heart that both Yuzuki-san and Tsunade-sama are threats to the survival of Konohagakure. And he will do everything in his power to eliminate those threats."

Before anyone could respond to that, the door swung open to reveal a messenger. "Hokage-sama, I have terrible news!"

"If it's about the Daimyō, we already know," Tsunade said.

The messenger showed brief surprise that the news had already reached Tsunade, but shook his head to shake it off. "Not only that, but Shizune-san reports that Danzō has escaped from isolation and his whereabouts are currently unknown!"

Tsunade ripped out the IV drip inserted into her left arm and growled. **"I knew it! Relay my orders to Shizune-chan: I want every** **ch** **ūnin, jōnin and** **Anbu in Konoha searching for Danzō and I want him captured now!"**

"Very good, Hokage-sama." The messenger bowed and then used a Body Flicker to leave the room.

"Whatever the rest of you are thinking, you don't need to say it," Tsunade said to the rest of the room. "Danzō anticipated that I would send my best jōnin to the capital and already had the assassin waiting there."

"A classic power play," Shikamaru observed. "Danzō knows Tsunade-sama will defend Yuzuki and will use her support against her, labeling her as a co-conspirator. Whoever is chosen to succeed the late Daimyō will be more inclined to believe Danzō over Tsunade-sama."

"So if Danzō is not apprehended quickly and this matter brought to light…" Kurenai said.

"Then Tsunade-sama will be marked as an S-rank felon and sentenced to death," Asuma finished.

x-x

In their hideout located in the Land of Rivers, all nine members of the Akatsuki were assembled for the extraction ceremony, six physically present, and the other three appearing as astral projections. The unconscious Fū was placed in the center of a large circle positioned between the hands of the Gedō Statue.

 _"Sealing Jutsu: Nine Phantom Dragons,"_ Pain's projection spoke. The other eight also initiated the technique, causing a bubble of blue chakra to surround Fū and lift into the air. Red chakra began leaking from her eyes and mouth, indicating that the extraction of her tailed beast had begun.

 _"Now that the extraction of the Nanabi is in process, there are certain matters that must be discussed."_

"You're damn right about that!" Hidan yelled. Shortly after being forced to leave the Demon Desert, Kakuzu had used the Earth Grudge Fear to sew his nearly severed right arm back on. However, the other body parts he'd lost in his fight were still missing, and needless to say, he was still really pissed off about that.

 _"Explain yourself, Zetsu,"_ Pain ordered the projection of the homunculus. _"The intel you gathered on the Kyūbi jinchūriki was grossly inaccurate."_

Zetsu, who was normally one of the most knowledgeable members of the organization, was just as upset as the others that his information had proven to be this inadequate. He simply said, _**"Perhaps Jiraiya's training was more effective than we were led to believe."**_

"Six weeks of training inside Konoha allowed the Uzumaki boy to make an immortal S-rank shinobi look like a fresh, wet behind the ears genin? I don't think so," Sasori objected.

"You don't have any room to talk, Sasori-chan!" Hidan snapped at the living puppet. "You went and got both of your best puppets turned into scrap out there!"

 _"Silence,"_ the projection of the only female member of the Akatsuki, Konan, ordered. The chamber went quiet immediately and Pain's projection took some moments to examine his underlings before turning to Kakuzu.

 _"Kakuzu. Since Zetsu is unwilling to cooperate at this time, perhaps you could give us a better reason for how the Kyūbi acquired so much power in such a short time span to render Zetsu's intel obsolete?"_ Pain ordered the group's treasurer. For a few seconds, Kakuzu remained silent, though the others saw an intense look in his eyes. Whatever had happened out there had unnerved Kakuzu greatly, and anything that made a member of their organization feel fear was a force to be reckoned with.

"The malice I felt radiating from that kid was unlike anything I've ever felt in my life," Kakuzu explained. "And it did not come from the Kyūbi's chakra. Whatever it was that possessed him in that fight, can only be described as evil incarnate."

The speech from Kakuzu made Deidara roar out laughing. "Evil, you say? Then what would you call the rest of us, hm?"

 _"Those remarks will not be tolerated,"_ Pain admonished Deidara. _"Kakuzu, define this 'evil incarnate'."_

"I don't know if a proper definition exists. The aura around him was pure black, with such intensity that it could blot out the sun. Standing close to him felt like being caught in a blizzard, eating away at my hearts, but at the same time, there was a fiery rage that could have ignited the whole planet. Believe me when I say that the entity that possessed Uzumaki was neither human nor bijū. I _strongly_ recommend killing the jinchūriki the next time we face him, Pain-sama."

"Heh. That's a good one, Kakuzu," Kisame laughed, believing the eldest member of their group to be joking. "And how do you propose we acquire the Kyūbi if we kill its container?"

"For once, I agree with Kakuzu!" Hidan shouted. "It'll appease Jashin-sama greatly for me to kill that bastard after all the blasphemous acts he's performed!"

"How do you intend to go about killing Uzumaki, if we agree to this?" Sasori inquired. "He nearly succeeded where Kakuzu has failed so many times."

 _"Are you suggesting that Pain-sama is incapable of dealing with this annoyance?"_ Konan said coldly.

"Don't get me wrong, _Tenshi-sama,"_ Sasori sneered. "I have all the confidence in the world in our leader, but you cannot expect us to not question the potential risks of any plan he decides upon."

"All of you who question me are acting like fools," Kakuzu said. "Our plan is world domination. How do we expect to achieve it when the world is destroyed?"

The room grew very cold for several seconds as Pain stared down Kakuzu. _"Continue your explanation."_

"I have made it no secret that I am an atheist. Money is what rules my soul. But let's suppose that there is a creator god in existence. What would that make Uzumaki, then?"

"Wait a second," Deidara said, making a show of sticking his pinkie finger in his ear to clean it out after what Kakuzu just said. "Are you really suggesting that Blondie is some sort of demon?"

"What I felt in his presence is strong enough that it threatens to make even me into a believer."

 _"You are convinced that the Kyūbi child will destroy us if we do not eliminate him,"_ Pain said. _"How can the rest of us be certain that you are not simply exaggerating this position?"_

"Have you ever seen someone whose only desire was to watch the world burn?" Kakuzu retorted, giving his leader a look of annoyance. It was a bold move, considering just how much stronger Pain was than the rest of them combined.

To their surprise, Pain nodded. It was the first time any of them had been this vocal about their fears and he detected an honesty that was rarely seen among their group. It was sufficient to make Kakuzu's story credible in Pain's enlightened mind.

 _"Itachi,"_ Pain addressed the rogue Uchiha, the only member who had yet to speak during this meeting. _"What are your thoughts on the matter?"_ All others turned to look at Itachi, anticipating his stance. For the entire duration up until now, he had simply concentrated on the extraction of the Nanabi.

"It is difficult to determine the correct course of action, Pain-sama," Itachi said. "If Kakuzu's story is true, then I would agree that destroying the Kyūbi vessel is the best choice. Yet we have not taken any time to consider exactly what it is we are facing. Is Naruto merely possessed? Or perhaps the unending scorn he has endured from his village has pushed him into a heightened emotional state, allowing him to unlock new powers? In either case, I have some information that might help our cause."

 _"Ah yes, I had almost forgotten about that,"_ Konan mused. _"Word travels quickly, Itachi. You put Danzō into a coma with your Tsukuyomi the last time you were inside Konoha, then retreated before you could locate the Kyūbi. Explain why you went against orders."_

"I remember telling you when I sought you out that I would have personal business to attend to every so often. That was my condition for joining the Akatsuki. Are you saying that you plan to renege on our agreement?"

 _"This information had better be useful, as you claim,"_ Pain warned Itachi. _"Otherwise..."_ he let the unspoken threat linger. Itachi remained expressionless as he continued speaking.

"Naruto Uzumaki has a caretaker. Her name is Yuzuki Hyūga."

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold up a sec!" Deidara shouted. "You mean someone actually took that brat in?! What the hell are you smoking, Itachi? There isn't a single person alive who would care enough about a jinchūriki to adopt him, yeah!"

"We were mistaken in that belief," Itachi said. "This young woman, not even a full adult yet, has a powerful connection to Naruto and may know what is happening to him. However, what is even more suspicious about Yuzuki is that when I plied Danzō for this information, he claimed that there are no records of her existence anywhere in Konoha."

"It's like she's a ghost," Sasori observed. "How interesting."

"A ghost who treats Naruto as though he was her biological son. Yuzuki is very protective of Naruto and is quick to enter a rage if there is any danger to him. Her abilities at this time are unknown. I would request to be given time to gather more information on her before we move against the Kyūbi."

"Hell no!" Hidan objected. "What's wrong with you, Itachi? Don't tell me you're still loyal to that shithole?"

 _"I will allow it,"_ Pain overruled Hidan's objection.

 _"Nagato..."_ Konan quietly whispered.

 _"However, let me remind you that should I believe your loyalties are in question, I will not hesitate to put you down myself,"_ Pain continued. For a brief moment, his Rinnegan bored into Itachi's Sharingan, as though challenging the Uchiha to a battle of wills. _"As for the rest of you, we shall focus on rectifying our failure to acquire the Ichibi and at the same time, we will move to capture the_ _Rokubi and_ _Hachibi. Do not forget what has transpired today. The world will soon fall before us. Everyone who opposes Akatsuki shall know true pain."_

x-x

"Everything always seems like more of a drag than usual whenever you're around," Shikamaru complained as he got off Temari's war fan and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Shortly after their highly secretive meeting inside Tsunade's hospital room, Temari had sensed a change in the desert air and dragged Shikamaru away with her before anyone could officially issue an order to return to the Demon Desert to locate Naruto and Hinata. Using her control over Wind chakra to ride the air currents, Temari had managed to get them there in less than thirty minutes, much faster than any living shinobi not named Might Guy would have arrived on foot.

"There's dozens of square kilometers of terrain to search, Temari-san. We're not exactly the best equipped team to find them."

"There isn't much we can do about that right now, Shikamaru," Temari reminded him as she strapped her tessen to her back. "Baki-sensei is going to have his hands full with the Suna Council, and Hokage-sama is already recalling all of your comrades back to Konoha to assist in the hunt for Danzō."

"I'm not surprised that Godaime-sama barred Yuzuki from continuing the search. It's annoying that she did, though. The Byakugan would have helped immensely now that the sandstorm is over, and with Neji temporarily blind, she's the only functional user currently present in Suna."

"With Danzō on the loose, keeping Yuzuki-san on a short leash seems like the best way to protect her." Temari sighed. She wasn't saying this to give Shikamaru an unnecessary explanation. She knew full well that the lazy chūnin had an extraordinary mind. His genius and gift for strategy would have made him the perfect Hokage, if he only had the motivation needed for the job. And motivation was the issue that kept Temari talking during their trek into the Demon Desert.

"This exam was a disaster. Out of eighty-eight valid participants who reached the second stage, only three of them will receive promotions," Temari commented after two minutes of silence.

"First off, let me state that I believe it's premature for Hokage-sama to deny Naruto a promotion without first finding out exactly what happened to him out here," Shikamaru replied. "If anything, I think Naruto should have been promoted the first time he took the exams. The people who were judging his performance in his match against Neji fowled that one up. If Naruto encountered the Akatsuki during these exams like we believe, just finding him out here should be enough to secure his promotion.

"As for Team Guy, they had two big advantages in the decision making process. Not only were they the only team to make it to the central tower with both scrolls intact, they were also able to drive off two members of the Akatsuki. The only thing that will surprise me there is if Hokage-sama doesn't promote them directly to jōnin."

"Making it to the central tower that quickly would be considered a speed record, if the exams hadn't already been canceled," Temari observed. "I wonder how Guy-san got there so fast, though."

Shikamaru shook his head. "You haven't seen his team's training sessions, just the results. Might Guy is a slave driver, always pushing himself and his students to their physical limits. Did you know that Rock Lee wanted to complete the endurance race in just half a day, but Tenten had to force him to slow down and take the full three days?"

Temari shuddered at Shikamaru's words. Someone being able to run that far, that fast, even by shinobi standards was just insane. "Well, whatever he's doing with them, you can't deny the results of their training after seeing them in action." She shuddered again as she added, "I still remember how Lee nearly beat Gaara in the preliminary round the first time he took the exams."

"We all learned a lot and lost a lot from the first exams and their aftermath. However, what happened here is probably far worse than losing a Hokage and a Kazekage."

"Both our Kage are still alive this time..." Temari pointed out.

"That's true, but the Akatsuki have captured their second bijū and we still don't know what their endgame is." Shikamaru paused briefly before adding, "The bijū are the most powerful weapons at the disposal of the shinobi villages. If the Akatsuki do manage to capture all nine of them, we'll be looking at a global catastrophe."

Now it was Temari's turn to shake her head. "Are you always so pessimistic, Shikamaru?"

"If you define pessimism as searching for logical and realistic outcomes to any given scenario, then yes," Shikamaru replied, yawning.

"Good grief..."

"Whatever. Now, as far as locating Naruto and Hinata goes, the most logical place we should check first would be the central tower, or what's left of it. If they never received the message to evacuate, then it makes sense that they would try to continue in that direction. Hopefully there is still some way they could take shelter in the tower ruins."

"And if they're not there, we'll have to check the oases next, then the outer walls. This could take us several days if we don't find them on our first try, Shikamaru. I hope you came prepared."

"Don't remind me." Shikamaru groaned. This whole debacle really was more trouble than it was worth. They had gone and botched the plan to lure out and weaken the Akatsuki. Then that clearly wasn't a big enough screw-up by itself, so they also ended up mishandling the evacuation and now here they were, technically going against orders by trying to find the only two people who were still trapped out here.

"By the way, what's your whole take on the situation with Yuzuki-san and Danzō?" Temari changed the subject. Shikamaru's face scrunched up from her question and he immediately turned serious. Temari had noted a lack of worry on his face while they were discussing Naruto and Hinata; Shikamaru had been sure that Naruto was too stubborn to let a mere sandstorm do him in, and was confident that he wouldn't let himself get captured by the Akatsuki. However, what Temari had just brought up _did_ bother the lazy genius.

"Yuzuki is still an unknown, and I don't trust her," Shikamaru explained. "Even if her affections towards Naruto are genuine, she must have an ulterior motive for wanting to be close to him. However, they're already close enough that trying to separate Yuzuki from Naruto and hand her over to the Torture and Interrogation Force would provoke an extreme negative response from Naruto, so it's difficult to decide what we're supposed to do. If I knew enough to know why Naruto trusts her so much, it might not be as strong of an issue, but it is.

"As for Danzō, that traitor made a fatal blunder the day after Yuzuki arrived, but somehow he managed to survive and not only that, he has executed his current plan to take Konoha to near perfection. Danzō has been coveting the Hokage title for decades. I actually managed to discover that he'd tried to have Sandaime-sama assassinated shortly after Naruto was born because he believed Sandaime-sama was no longer capable of acting in the best interests of Konoha. So when the Daimyō agreed with Jiraiya-sama that Tsunade-sama would become the Fifth Hokage, Danzō was none too happy with the decision. You can bet your ass he's been searching for a way to discredit or incriminate Tsunade-sama and seize control. He reacted poorly to Yuzuki's arrival, but her continued presence in Konoha turned out to be the exact opportunity he needed for his _coup d'état._ Yuzuki has no known background, possesses strong ties to our jinchūriki without being related to him by blood, and not only does she not hate Naruto, she goes out of her way to lavish him with positive attention without expecting anything in return. Setting her up to take a fall is the ideal way to strike at Tsunade-sama."

"And if Danzō can pin the assassination of the Daimyō on Yuzuki-san before he can be captured and turned over to the Yamanaka to rip the truth out of his mind, Tsunade-sama won't be able to do anything for Yuzuki-san, never mind herself," Temari added.

"The evidence or lack thereof is currently in Danzō's favor, and the Konoha Council favors him over Hokage-sama. Their disdain for Naruto is still so strong that they would ignore any case Hokage-sama makes in Yuzuki's defense," Shikamaru continued.

"But how will Naruto react when he finds out? Yuzuki-san is bound to receive the death penalty along with Tsunade-sama."

"That's part of the reason why Hokage-sama ordered Yuzuki to not search for Naruto. If multiple witnesses can verify that she was not present in the Capital and cannot use the Shadow Clone Jutsu, it might weaken Danzō's position when the next Five Kage Summit is convened. It's a last resort to call upon the other villages to convict Danzō, but she's playing every card available to her. As for Naruto...if push comes to shove, Hokage-sama will probably send him away from the village again. She's hoping that he never finds out about any of this."

Both of them fell silent after that, having strong doubts that keeping Naruto in the dark about Danzō's attempted coup against Tsunade was the best decision. But while they questioned the wisdom of keeing this secret from Naruto, they also couldn't deny that he was a wild card in this game. They knew that Naruto's opinion of Yuzuki (it was obvious that he already loved his legal guardian) mattered a great deal and depending on how the game played out, his reaction would drastically alter, if not wipe out the playing field.

"Hey, Shikamaru-kun?" Temari asked, grinning all of a sudden as an idea struck.

"Yes, Temari-san?" Shikamaru knew right away her tone of voice was setting him up for trouble.

"When we get back to Suna, you're going to take me out for a drink before you return to Konoha."

"Now why would I go through so much trouble for you?"

Temari bopped Shikamaru on the head and said, "Because a. I said so, b. it's the courteous thing to do, and I know you Nara men are big on courtesy, and c. I want to find out just how that lazy ass brain of yours works." She was going to keep pestering him on the matter when she felt another change in the air. Temari ran ahead and dragged Shikamaru with her, and soon they both were able to smell smoke. Someone was holed up at the ruins of the central tower and had built a fire, and she was able to barely see that some of the walls had conveniently fallen on top of each other to form a stone tent.

"Looks like that drink will come sooner than we thought! Come on, you lazy bum!" Temari yelled, the grin never leaving her face as she kept dragging Shikamaru towards the ruins.

"What a troublesome woman..." Shikamaru grumbled to himself as he rubbed his head with his free hand.

x-x

 **Editor's Note: Um...I don't actually know what to say here. I had intended to not add a note, but the author insisted I do, so yeah, this is basically here just for the sake of having it here.**

 **Though, I will say I was surprised to see that the Joint Chūnin Exams arc did not reach the proper conclusion here as originally intended.**

 **A/N: Well the chūnin exams are actually finished; there is just gonna be some brief wrap up in the next chapter but the arc itself is basically over. And oh look at what we have here, a confession from Naruto? *gasp* But he thinks he said it to Yuzuki! *gasps again* What will Hinata do with Naruto's confession? Will Danzō be captured before he can incriminate Yuzuki and Tsunade? Will the Akatsuki follow through on Kakuzu's recommendation to kill Naruto? And will Shikamaru get caught buying Temari that drink? Read and review more to find out!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Revelations**

 _One week after the Demon Desert Disaster_

Danzō Shimura stood atop the head of Hiruzen Sarutobi at the Hokage Monument, showing disdain towards Konoha for what it had become during Tsunade's administration. His late rival's successor was weak, ineffective...unwilling to do what was necessary to protect the village. The decline of Konoha had started during Hiruzen's second tenure, but he'd had to bide his time, waiting for the proper opportunity to step in and restore the village. But recent events made it impossible to wait for much longer.

He was still weakened from the effects of the Tsukuyomi. He'd managed to come to on his own after Itachi's genjutsu rendered him comatose, using only his sheer will. The intrusion in his former estate had set his plans back further than he'd liked, but at the same time, had also forced him to launch those plans sooner than he'd planned. It was no matter. Everything was in motion now. All the pieces were in place. The timing of his strike wasn't yet right, but in due time, his ambition would be realized. He would be Hokage and rescue Konoha from those who even now acted to destroy his village from within.

Revealing his manipulation of the jinchūriki's childhood to Jiraiya and Tsunade was a mistake. Danzō had only realized this after the Fifth's first attempt on his life. They couldn't understand the extreme measures that needed to be taken to ensure the loyalty of the village's most powerful weapon. When he made his move, Naruto would have to be captured quickly. The jinchūriki would have to be subjected to torture, designed to erase his memories and his emotions, before he could be properly trained to defend Konoha. It would certainly take more time to achieve than with anyone else in his Root Anbu—Naruto's will was the strongest Danzō had ever seen—but no one was unbreakable. But before he could begin reconditioning the jinchūriki, the other threats to Konoha had to be eliminated in a very public manner. Jiraiya's death would be regrettable, as killing him would mean that his spy network would have to be rebuilt...then again, the Kotoamatsukami technique of Shisui's eye could be used to subdue him instead, at least long enough to ensure the network would still operate after his death. The execution of Tsunade Senju would also be a tremendous loss to Konoha; her abilities in iryōjutsu were unrivaled, and her current apprentice wasn't yet skilled enough to become a proper successor. Subduing Tsunade with Shisui's eye instead of terminating her was, regrettably no longer a viable option. Tsunade's former apprentice, Shizune Katō, would also need to die for the good of the village.

But as for Yuzuki Hyūga...that is, if that was actually her name...

Danzō allowed himself to chuckle. The arrival of Yuzuki in Konoha had proven to be a godsend for his ambitions. Her connections to the jinchūriki, coupled with Tsunade's total mishandling of the situation her arrival created...that grave mistake on Tsunade's behalf, while it had made him make a catastrophic blunder, would remain her final great mistake as Hokage. Tsunade was meant to fall, and Yuzuki had torn the ground out from underneath her. He would be sure to properly convey his gratitude to Yuzuki before terminating her.

"Danzō-sama!" a voice called out, halting his musings. Danzō glanced slightly to his left to see that one of his best soldiers, Torune Aburame, had just returned.

"Torune. What news do you have to report?" Danzō ordered.

"Tsunade-hime has returned to Konoha. As you are aware, she ordered every available shinobi of chūnin rank or higher to capture you the moment she learned of the Daimyō's assassination. With her return, the manhunt will only intensify."

Danzō allowed himself another chuckle. "How reckless of the Slug Princess." The ongoing search was focused outside the village walls, and if he had been outside Konoha, someone would have located him by now. However, there were still several hideouts both _inside_ and _underneath_ Konoha that were yet to be compromised, hideouts that would most likely remain secure until there was no further need of them. After all, the safest place to hide from one's enemy is usually right under their nose.

"Is it time to begin the operation, sir?" Torune asked.

"No," Danzō said dismissively. "It is still too soon. The late Daimyō lacked an heir apparent and a successor to his title has yet to be chosen from among the Kōshaku. We must wait for the New Years Festival. It will be the best time to catch the enemies of Konoha off guard. If we move to strike now, we only put ourselves in checkmate."

"Very good, sir." Torune rapidly vacated the Hokage Monument. Danzō would follow a few seconds later, after gazing at Konoha one last time.

 _'Enjoy the time you have now, Tsunade. For it will soon end.'_

x-x

Back at the Hokage's office, Naruto and Team Eight were standing in front of Tsunade's desk after the other members of the Konoha Eleven were dismissed. Kiba was muttering angry words to Akamaru, Shino stood behind his teammates and was brooding, and Hinata had reverted to her nervous habit of poking her index fingers together...

...because they all knew Naruto was about to explode.

"What?! Are you kidding me, Bā-chan?" Naruto shouted.

Tsunade folded her hands on her desk and gave Naruto a stern look. "I'm sorry, Naruto, but I can't make an exception for you. Due to the Akatsuki's attack against us, it was impossible to gather enough data on any of the participating teams to determine whether or not anyone else was worthy of promotion."

"Are you fucking serious? Don't you know what I had to do out there? You promoted Bushy Brows and his teammates for fighting off two of those Akatsuki freaks, but you won't promote me for having to fight off two more of them BY MYSELF?!"

"From my standpoint, you got incredibly lucky out there. How did you manage to escape when Fū didn't? This is your one chance to tell me what I need to hear so that I might change my mind."

Naruto had no idea how to respond to that. He hadn't blacked out during his dark half's possession of him during that fight, so he still remembered every grisly detail of what his dark half did: accessing four tails of the Kyūbi's chakra without losing himself to the Kyūbi's hate, mutilating an allegedly immortal S-rank felon, and nearly doing the same thing to said felon's partner before he wrested control back from his dark half, which is what had allowed the Akatsuki to get away with taking Fū.

He felt like there was no choice but to lie to the Hokage.

"I...I don't remember everything. I lost consciousness after the fight, so..."

Tsunade saw right through his lie and sighed. "Field promotions to chūnin rank are not something I can simply hand out. The sandstorm erased all evidence of the fight you claim happened, and you're unwilling to give me a personal account. Therefore, you will remain a genin."

Naruto slammed his fists down on the desk. "That's bullshit!"

He didn't even have time to flinch as Tsunade punched him through the office wall, then shoved Team Eight out of her way, grabbed him by the collar of his hoodie, and slammed him against the door to her office.

 **"Naruto Uzumaki, you do not speak that way to your Hokage!"** Tsunade screamed. **"If I hear one more complaint about this or hear of you disobeying one more order, I will make sure you stay a genin for the rest of your life! Are we clear?"** She unceremoniously dropped Naruto to the floor. Rather than give her an answer, he just walked away, though it was plain to see as he left that he had really, really wanted to hit Tsunade back for all the times she hit him. A few seconds later, Hinata ran out through the Naruto-sized hole in the wall, chasing after Naruto so she could try to calm him down.

"Does anyone else have any complaints?" Tsunade asked in a challenging tone as she returned to her desk.

"Nah. I can see why we weren't promoted," Kiba said.

"As you pointed out, there was insufficient data available for determining candidates for promotion due to the cancellation of the exams which happened before the second phase could reach a proper conclusion," Shino added. "However, it is my personal opinion that Naruto-san had every right to complain about your decision. His outburst here notwithstanding, both my teammates and myself believe Naruto is deserving of a promotion, for several reasons."

"You don't have to remind me." Tsunade groaned. "Shikamaru already told me off over this issue."

"Then would it be too much to ask why you did not agree with Shikamaru-san? Why you not only denied, but threatened to bar Naruto from ever receiving a promotion?"

Tsunade groaned again. "This latest outburst from Naruto proves he is still not mature enough to handle the responsibilities that come with the rank, Shino. But the real reason I denied him a promotion is to protect him. As you are aware, before we returned to Konoha I gave a blanket order to every available chūnin, jōnin and Anbu to participate in the manhunt for Danzō. Promoting Naruto now would force him to join the hunt, and that would basically be handing him over to Danzō on a silver platter. Naruto does _not_ need to know that there is a threat to his life that originates from inside Konoha, especially not in his current state."

"What's that supposed to mean, Tsunade-sama?" Kiba asked.

"Surely you've noticed that something is wrong with Naruto?" Tsunade prompted.

"I have," Shino replied before Kiba could speak. "His behavior has started to become...erratic."

"That's a delicate way of putting it, Shino. I'm not sure Naruto is even aware that his behavior is changing. But yes, since he and Hinata got out of the hospital in Suna, he has been acting differently." When Kiba and Akamaru both gave Tsunade a questioning look, she groaned a third time and took out a bottle of saké from under her desk, drinking the entire bottle in one gulp.

"Naruto was supposed to resume training with Sakura and Kakashi-san upon his return to Konoha. But he is continuing to avoid them like the plague."

"Why was Naruto-san allowed to continue training with us?" Shino asked. "Kakashi-sensei would have brought up the issue by now."

"Kakashi-san actually brought it up before the exams. However, yesterday I received an item that complicates the issue." Tsunade opened a drawer and pulled out a document for Shino and Kiba to read. They both quickly glanced over the contents and their eyes widened.

"This is a request for a transfer to another team," Shino said.

"To _our_ team," Kiba said. "And Naruto wrote it himself," he added more softly, in disbelief. "But doesn't that go against regulation? Ninja squads are always supposed to have four members."

"It does," Shizune piped in as she entered through the door, having just returned from her afternoon shift at the hospital. "Yuzuki-san also signed her consent on the form. Naruto-kun could not have filed this document without the approval of his legal guardian."

"Naruto has no interest in returning to Team Seven," Tsunade continued. "This behavior is out of character for him. But that isn't the worst of it. Shizune-chan, do you have the records I asked you to retrieve when your shift ended?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Shizune answered, setting the records on Tsunade's desk. Shino and Kiba both walked closer to read the file, only to recoil upon seeing what it contained.

"Is this some sort of joke?" Shino asked, showing intense agitation. His kikaichū were buzzing madly.

"I can't make any sense of this," Kiba groaned, and Akamaru whimpered.

"You are not alone in your confusion, Kiba-kun," Shino said to his teammate. Then he turned back to Tsunade and asked, "Hokage-sama, why would Hiashi-sama permit this? What is the benefit to him from allowing Hinata-san unlimited off-the-books access to his clan's funds?"

"Kurenai-san asked me the same thing earlier," Tsunade said. "She's been running her own investigation through another source, but can't figure out Hiashi's motives yet. I also asked Neji, but he was tight lipped when I brought it up to him, so either he's deliberately keeping silent, or he's also in the dark somehow, neither of which makes sense."

"Agh!" Kiba shouted. "Can someone please tell me what's going on?"

"If these records are accurate, Hiashi-sama is allowing Hinata-san to use her clan's treasury to provide Naruto-san with financial support," Shino said. "Medical bills, ninja equipment, groceries. However, he is keeping all of her transactions off the books to conceal them from the Hyūga elders."

"We only noticed the large increase in spending Naruto-kun has been doing recently," Shizune explained. "On our way back to Konoha, Naruto-kun and Hinata-san was able to sneak away from our party to make several more acquisitions. Most of it was just standard ninja equipment, mainly kunai, but she also purchased a longsword, along with items that we were forced to confiscate. Specifically, nine large chakra orbs."

"Chakra orbs? What are those?" Kiba asked.

"They're tools that are designed to function as a large chakra battery, much larger than any previous technology in the field," Tsunade said. "They were only recently developed and cannot be purchased legally without special authorization. They were originally intended to function as a power source for villages, but they also have applications in fūinjutsu. Which brings up the question of when Naruto decided to take an interest in fūinjutsu."

"Along with why Naruto would require nine chakra batteries of that size," Shino pointed out. "Even with his reserves, it would take him over a month to fill just one of those orbs...unless—" He did not get a chance to finish that thought as Sakura ripped the door off its hinges, tears falling down her bruised cheeks.

Tsunade quickly went over and examined Sakura, but found that other than the bruise she was physically fine. "What happened, Sakura?"

Sakura, sniffling, just barely managed to choke out her accusation: "Naruto...he...he hit me!"

x-x

 _A few minutes earlier..._

After leaving the office, Naruto wanted to do a lot of things to vent his anger. The only reason he didn't yet was because Hinata was with him, and he didn't want to upset her.

 _'Stu_ _ **pid**_ _old_ _ **hag,'**_ Naruto screamed in his mind. _**'I wor**_ _ked my_ _ **ass off**_ _and she doesn't_ _ **care.'**_ He was completely unaware that his consciousness was starting to merge with his dark side, and Tsunade pulling that crap in her office, denying him the promotion he truly felt he deserved, was only furthering the merger. Some of his actions since his fight with Hidan in the Demon Desert didn't make sense to him. Why had he had that urge to visit Sora-Ku on the way back to Konoha and buy those nine chakra orbs? What reason could he possibly have had for needing them? Naruto had a strong distaste for fūinjutsu; it was what had caused that damned monster fox to wind up inside his gut and make everyone hate him for so long, and he protested every time Ero-sennin tried to make him learn the basics of the art. But his thought pattern was changing into something that was unrecognizable, something that he couldn't call his own. Worse still, he had looked in the bathroom mirror one time after a shower and noticed that his eyes would occasionally turn red and black, but quickly reverted to their original colors. And if he noticed it, it was only a matter of time before someone else did.

"Naruto-kun, please calm down!" Hinata pleaded with him. "Tsunade-sama must have a reason for this!"

It was exactly the wrong thing for her to say.

"Oh, she _**must**_ have a reason, huh?" Naruto snapped. To her amazement, Hinata didn't flinch or stammer, but pressed forward.

"I do not understand why she will not tell you, though."

"Oh, you mean she doesn't trust me? Well, thanks for pointing out the obvious, Hinata!"

That time, Hinata flinched. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't mean..."

Naruto also flinched when he saw Hinata wilt. Yes, he was still angry, but there was no excuse for him to take it out on her. She'd gotten too much of that treatment from her family, and here he was, giving her more of it. He felt so guilty right now.

"No, I'm the one who should be saying sorry. You didn't deserve that from me. I hurt you because I was being selfish. You missed out on a promotion too, but I was only thinking about myself." Naruto hung his head low, feeling totally unworthy of her. Hinata gathered her courage and walked closer, forcing him to look up and look her in the eye.

"It's okay, Naruto-kun." Hinata gave Naruto a sad smile and added, "But I don't deserve to be promoted. I fainted when you needed me by your side."

"Don't say that!" Naruto said, gripping Hinata's shoulders.

"Na-Naruto-kun?"

"You've worked harder than anyone else in your clan. Hell, you've even worked harder than me. I know how strong you are, Hinata! You deserve that promotion, a lot more than I do!"

Hinata shook her head. "I truly appreciate you standing up for me, Naruto-kun. But it does not change the fact that I let you down when you needed me. I did not earn the promotion this time, but I..." she faltered slightly when Naruto gave her a special kind of angry look, which he reserved for moments like this when someone kept doubting themselves, "I will earn it next time. No, _we_ will earn it next time, Naruto-kun," she finished, resolutely, and Naruto grinned at her for her turnaround.

"That's better. Now come on and let's get some ramen together!" Hinata returned Naruto's grin with a small smile and a nod. She had not yet approached Naruto about his unconscious confession to her in the desert, when he thought she was Yuzuki. She had been happy when Naruto said those words, but at the same time, the timing was completely wrong. There was a part of Hinata that just wanted to jump into Naruto's arms and kiss him all over, but she couldn't give in to such carnal and improper thoughts until she and Naruto addressed the issue of his feelings. But perhaps a lunch outing at Ichiraku would give her a chance to test her resolve and see if she could get Naruto to confess properly.

Hinata was just about to leave with Naruto when she felt someone approaching. She quickly turned around and saw that Sakura was there, and Sakura looked especially angry.

"NA-RU-TO!" Sakura yelled.

Every time up until now, Naruto would be fearing for his life after hearing the voice of an angry Sakura. However, this time his reaction was completely different.

"What's up, Sakura?" Naruto said calmly. To Hinata, his voice sounded cold and indifferent. Hinata also noted the deliberate absence of the 'chan' suffix which he'd always used affectionately whenever he addressed his pink-haired teammate.

"'What's up?' That's all you have to say to us after skipping out on training with me and Kakashi-sensei every day since we got back from Suna?"

Naruto shrugged. "Guess it slipped my mind."

"You're so full of shit! We know you've been sneaking off every morning to train with Team Eight ever since you came back to the village two months ago! I know you haven't forgotten what our schedule is, Naruto! You need to start sticking to it!" But to Sakura's utter amazement, Naruto didn't respond at all to her angry outburst. That was a first.

Sakura sighed and reined in her anger, deciding to try a different approach. If accusing Naruto didn't get a reaction, surely guilt-tripping him would still work. "What's happening to you, Naruto? Me and Kakashi-sensei have been worried about you. You haven't been acting like yourself lately. Don't you still care about us? Don't you care about bringing Sasuke-kun back?"

The atmosphere shifted violently in that moment. Sakura's attempt to get a response out of Naruto backfired on her in the worst possible way. Anyone who was there to watch would have had to get their eyes checked to make sure they weren't being deceived. Hinata, being the only witness, could only gasp and cover her mouth with both hands at what happened.

In the blink of an eye, Sakura went from standing face to face with Naruto, to laying on the ground, with a large bruise already forming on her left cheek. She was in a state of shock as Naruto towered over her, glaring at her with red eyes—and they weren't the Kyūbi's eyes.

 **"Sasuke this and Sasuke that. Is that all you ever think about? How you can stand there day after day and be so condescending towards me, but continue to praise a traitor like him boggles my mind. Well, guess what, Sakura? You can have the bastard—** _ **if**_ **you can bring him back on your own, that is. You can consider that 'promise of a lifetime' I made to you broken. Oh, and tell Kakashi I'm transferring to Team Eight. At least** _ **they**_ **understand teamwork and loyalty. Even if that old hag doesn't approve my request, it will be a cold day in hell before I'm ever caught being around** _ **you**_ **again."** Naruto spat at the ground to Sakura's left and turned around. He was _done_ with her, and with everything that reminded him of his past.

 **"Come on, Hinata,"** he commanded his indigo-haired champion.

"But, Naruto-kun..."

 **"I said let's go! Teuchi-oji-san is gonna close the shop soon!"** Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand and tried to drag her away. However, Hinata yanked her hand free of his grip. Surprised by her response, Naruto turned around to face Hinata, only to find that she was staring him down, giving him the classic Hyūga glare.

"I need to be left alone," Hinata said firmly. "Do not follow me, Uzumaki-san. And do not return to my team's training grounds until Hokage-sama gives you permission." And then she ran off, only staying long enough to give Sakura an apologetic look before vanishing around the corner of the nearest building.

Naruto just stood there, completely dumbfounded, but also deeply wounded by Hinata's rejection. His eyes changed back to normal, but it was already too late to fix the damage he'd done during that lapse. He tried to approach Sakura to apologize, but before he could take even a single step she burst into tears and ran off towards the Hokage Tower.

 _'What did I do?'_ they both asked themselves as Naruto kept standing there confused, and Sakura kept running and crying.

x-x

After Hinata told him to leave her alone, Naruto found that he had lost his appetite. He sat down in a nearby alley and stayed there brooding for almost an hour, then grudgingly walked back to his apartment to check if Yuzuki was there. After that, he didn't know what he was going to do. He supposed he would just train on his own for a while, try to get some of these feelings he didn't want out of his system, and afterward, try to figure out what he was going to do about Sakura and Hinata. Naruto still thought of Team Seven as the family he'd never had, but the longer time went on the more he wanted to walk away from that family for all the pain they'd caused him, even if he was also walking away from some of the first moments of happiness he had in his life that didn't involve ramen. He wanted to move past that pain, but he felt like he couldn't do that unless he was on a different team. But Hinata had just told him he was no longer welcome around her or her team. Hinata had hurt him, and his mind jumped to the first conclusion he always reached whenever someone wanted him to stay away.

Had he gone too far by hitting Sakura and yelling at her? Was it wrong to lash out at her after all the times she had hit him? Naruto didn't want to put up with Sakura anymore, but had his rejection of her also been what caused Hinata to coldly reject him as well? Because of it, did Hinata now see him for what he really was, a monster disguised as a boy?

Naruto sighed and walked through the front door of his apartment. He was actually hoping Yuzuki wouldn't be here; he just wanted to be alone right now. But to his continued misfortune, Yuzuki was right there, already pulling him into a tight hug and suffocating him with her huge breasts.

"Naru-chan, you're home!" Yuzuki squealed.

"Knock it off, Yuzuki!" Naruto shouted at her, pushing her away. Yuzuki was clearly hurt by Naruto's behavior and gave him that look, the one that tried to be stern with him but was also filled with sorrow.

He immediately recoiled and scrambled to appease her. "I-I'm sorry, Yuzuki!" Naruto stammered out his apology. "I-It's just...been a really bad day..."

Yuzuki gave Naruto her sad smile and hugged him again, more gently. "Do you want to talk about it, Naru-chan?"

"Not really..." he said. "But what's with calling me 'Naru-chan' all of a sudden?"

"I-I'm sorry...it's just..." Yuzuki started sniffling at the reminder of how horribly wrong things had gone last week, "I was so worried about you when you were abandoned in the desert and Tsunade-sama ordered me not to go out there to help you. So please forgive me if I want to be silly with you every now and then, Naruto-kun. I couldn't bare it if something happened to you."

"Well, I guess it's okay then..." Naruto sighed deeply. Normally he would have been insisting that he should apologize for worrying Yuzuki so much. Yuzuki let go of Naruto only long enough to lead him to the couch, where she insisted that he sit close to her. He reluctantly complied and tried to relax as Yuzuki tenderly stroked his hair.

"Please talk to me, Naruto-kun," Yuzuki urged him. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right? I won't judge you."

Naruto sighed again. As much as he wanted to keep it bottled up until he was ready to let it out on his own, Yuzuki still had that affect on him that made it so much harder to keep closing himself off. "I...I hit Sakura," he confessed.

Yuzuki got off the couch, knelt down in front of Naruto and made him look her in the eyes. "You did what?" she asked, making sure she heard him correctly.

"Yeah, I hit her really hard and told her I was leaving Team Seven, and now Hinata's really mad at me because of it."

It was Yuzuki's turn to sigh. "Oh Naruto-kun, why did you hit Sakura-chan? You should have known that would turn out badly."

"It's her fault! She's always treating me badly, either insulting me all the time or using me as her personal punching bag!" Naruto complained.

"That does not make it okay for you to strike her back," Yuzuki scolded Naruto.

"But—"

"No buts," Yuzuki interrupted, placing her index finger on Naruto's lips. "I do not condone Sakura's behavior, but I cannot condone yours either, Naruto-kun. Tomorrow, you will go see both Sakura-chan and Hinata-chan and apologize to them for what you did today."

"That's no good," Naruto grumbled. "Sakura's gonna try to kill me for real after I hit her today, and Hinata...she..."

"Yes?" Yuzuki prompted.

Naruto sighed one more time. "Hinata doesn't wanna see me ever again. She made that pretty clear when she told me to stay away from her team's training grounds."

 _'Oh, Naruto-kun...'_ Naruto was taking this extremely badly, Yuzuki saw; he didn't understand that Hinata had overreacted and just needed some time to cool down. Then again, what Naruto had done by striking Sakura was also the worst thing he could have done to offend Hinata aside from harming someone in her family. Family still meant a great deal to Hinata, and to see Naruto use violence against his own surrogate family and tell them he wanted nothing to do with them anymore...it would have hurt Hinata deeply.

"Please wait here for a little bit. I'll be right back," Yuzuki finally said after a few minutes of painful silence. She walked towards Naruto's bedroom—well, _her_ bedroom ever since she moved in, because Naruto insisted she take the bed while he made do with the couch—and retrieved a small, gift-wrapped box from the dresser. When she returned to the living room, Naruto gave her a questioning look.

"What's that?" Naruto asked.

"I was going to wait to do this until later, but it looks like you need it now," Yuzuki said, and stretched out her arms to offer him the box. "Naruto-kun...has anyone ever given you a birthday present?"

Naruto stared at the box as though it was his lifeline and took it out of her hands carefully. "No...I've never been given a present before..."

Yuzuki was again reminded of the terrible childhood Naruto had suffered along with the cruel fate he had met in her timeline when he was murdered on his seventeenth birthday. "Then we will have to fix that," she said as she rested her hands on Naruto's shoulders. "I won't let you be alone on your special day anymore. Next year, and every year after, I will make sure all of your friends are here so we can give you a big party along with lots of presents. How does that sound?" she asked with a sad smile, and Naruto's eyes widened.

"You'd...really do that?" Naruto asked hesitantly. Yuzuki nodded firmly, and received a tackle and bear hug from Naruto. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! That'll be totally awesome, Yuzuki!"

"I'm...hehe...so glad you approve, Naruto-kun," Yuzuki giggled, delighted that Naruto had returned to normal for now.

Dark Naruto, however, did _not_ approve. His ghostly form sulked in the kitchen, shaking his head at the scene, but more at what had transpired between his and Yuzuki's younger selves just a while ago.

 _ **'So beautiful and loving, Hinata, yet still so stubborn and naïve,'**_ the yūrei thought. _**'As is your younger self. I guess I was a bit too hasty in trying to get the kid to sever his bond with that pink-haired bitch, but no matter. Things are falling into place now. Hinata...just wait a little longer. Soon we'll be together...for all eternity.'**_

x-x

Meanwhile, at the Hyūga estate, one Hiashi Hyūga was also very displeased with how recent events had unfolded. He was looking at the scroll Tsunade sent him regarding the issue of Hinata's recent purchases, and frowned when he saw the specific purchase that was the focal point of the Hokage's investigation.

 _'Experimental chakra orbs? The only way Hinata could have acquired those is through the black market. But what could she or Naruto possibly want with them?'_ It figured that Hinata had bought them for the Uzumaki boy, but that only brought up more questions than answers. Naruto had the innate talent for fūinjutsu, it was part of his Uzumaki lineage; but he completely lacked the desire and the patience to study that art.

Hiashi sighed deeply. The front gates to the complex had just opened and closed, and a quick check with his Byakugan verified that Hinata had returned home, and would soon enter his personal chambers as instructed by the guards. He knew she had been out spending time with Naruto again. He could not be fooled by her; he was fully aware of the excessive lengths of time Naruto spent with his daughter and her teammates over the past two months since his return from Jiraiya's training journey. But it was something to address later.

Right now, he had to put some tighter restraints on Hinata.

"Otō-sama. You wished to see me?" Hinata asked as she entered Hiashi's room.

"That is correct, Hinata," Hiashi said. "Now please, sit down," he instructed. Ever the obedient daughter, Hinata quickly complied and sat on her knees across from Hiashi.

"I have been reviewing your latest purchases and came across something that is rather disturbing," the Hyūga patriarch explained. "Hokage-sama informed me that she was forced to confiscate your most recent acquisitions. Hinata, would you care to enlighten me on why you traveled to Sora-Ku to purchase nine chakra orbs off the black market?"

Hinata hung her head in shame as she replied, "Naruto-kun mentioned on his return that he wanted to work on a special project, but did not have sufficient ryō to make the purchase. I regret to admit that I do not understand why this should be a problem, Otō-sama. Did you not grant me permission to use our clan's funds to assist Naruto-kun in any way possible?"

"So I did. But this purchase? Experimental equipment that was designed for large-scale energy projects and cannot be acquired through legal means without the approval of the Daimyō? I do not recall ever giving consent for _that_ particular decision," Hiashi said sternly. "Your actions have brought shame upon the clan, at the very least."

Hinata sighed and lowered her head. "I understand, Otō-sama."

"Good. Thankfully, no harm was done with the orbs before the purchase was discovered, so I can overlook your offense this one time. However, I expect that you will not suffer from a similar lapse in judgment in the future. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Otō-sama."

Hiashi sighed deeply. He did not like being strict on Hinata anymore and was still trying to improve and make amends for his treatment of her since the day he stripped her of the title of heiress and handed it over to Hanabi. Old habits formed by grief did not die easy, and having the hardliner elders still trying to impose their will on him and by extension, the clan did not make his struggle any easier.

Which led him to bring up the next issue. "You are aware that your cousin received a field promotion to the rank of chūnin," he stated. Hinata instinctively knew what was about to result from such a statement and scrambled to defend herself.

"There wasn't anything I could do this time, Otō-sama! The exams were canceled because the Akatsuki attacked and—"

"I know, Hinata, and I do not blame you. However, the elders have never been so understanding. A select few remain convinced that you deserve to be branded with the Caged Bird Cursed Seal simply because you did not meet their standards as a child." Hinata hung her head again at that. Clan law explicitly forbade banishing female members of the Main House to the Branch House, but that had not stopped her grandfather and the others from voicing their stance against her. "I am doing everything in my power to hold the elders back, but I still fear that someday they will go against my authority. So listen carefully, Hinata. Your best chance to avoid this fate is to continue going about as you have over the past two months. In other words, stay as close to Naruto as possible."

Hinata's head instantly shot back up after hearing Hiashi's latest instructions. She had expected her father to say many different things, but this? Telling her to continue pursuing Naruto? She had never once expected to hear him say such a thing.

"Pardon me, Otō-sama, but I do not understand your reasoning for this. Why do you want me to be with Naruto-kun? Why are you interested in him all of a sudden?"

"Come now, Hinata. Surely you haven't forgotten what Naruto-san did at his first Chūnin Selection Exams last year?" Hinata shook her head, and Hiashi continued, "His performance against Neji allowed many Hyūga, including myself, to truly open their eyes. Naruto-san made a strong impression on me, and more importantly, he saved our entire clan from self-destruction. I have also been aware of your infatuation with Naruto since the moment it first developed, and one would have to be blind to question why you are so taken with him. Naruto is a worthy shinobi, Hinata. I will not oppose your relationship with him." The way Hiashi explained it, his reasons for approving of Hinata's desire to be with Naruto made perfect sense.

But there were still problems.

"Why will staying close to Naruto-kun help my situation with the elders?" Hinata asked. "They do not acknowledge him like we do, Otō-sama."

"Just leave that to me. You may go now, Hinata," Hiashi said, dismissing her.

"Yes, Otō-sama," Hinata said. She stood up and bowed, then left to return to her quarters, not seeing the point of telling her father about her latest problems with Naruto.

 _'Forgive me, Hinata,'_ Hiashi thought to himself after his eldest daughter left, _'but if you were to learn the real reason why I wish for you to become romantically involved with Naruto-san, you would refuse.'_ The Plan to bring Naruto and Hinata together had been put in place before Hinata was born. The political goals were simple: the more Hinata's relationship with Naruto progressed, the stronger Naruto's ties to the Hyūga Clan would become. At some point, the Hyūga Clan and Naruto would recognize one another as allies, which would greatly boost their already strong standing in Konoha and in Hi no Kuni. Once Naruto achieved his dream of becoming Hokage, an eventuality in which Hiashi placed great confidence, the Clan's position would grow even stronger. Then there was also the matter of the genetic potential of any offspring Naruto and Hinata might have together. The union of the Uzumaki and Hyūga bloodlines would grant their children the incredible chakra reserves and longevity of the Uzumaki Clan, while also maintaining access to both of the Hyūga Clan's kekkei genkai. Additionally, since the Byakugan would be dormant in their offspring at birth and would remain hidden while inactive, those offspring would most likely not require the use of any seals which would prevent others from obtaining their dōjutsu. They were the key to ensuring the Hyūga Clan not only made the necessary adaptations to survive in the future, but would continue to thrive.

Hiashi had originally wanted to absorb Naruto into the Hyūga Clan. That part of the plan had fallen apart the day the elders forced him to take Hinata's birthright away from her. The rest of the plan had endured additional setbacks, mostly from Iruka and Hiruzen, the former having once suffered from the hate which still infected a significant part of Konoha's population, and the latter being...foolish, to put it kindly...by making Naruto fend for himself his entire childhood.

Despite those problems and the adjustments that were needed to address them, Hiashi still believed that his plan for the pairing would come to fruition. And soon.

x-x

 _Time skip: Two weeks_

Naruto sat on the swing at the Academy, hoping against hope that Hinata would show up. Classes were on hold for the upcoming New Years Festival, so it was a good neutral location to meet with Hinata, provided she was even willing to see him.

The day after the incident with Sakura, Naruto had been called in to see Tsunade and informed that his request for a transfer was denied, and additionally, he was placed on suspension from active duty for his assault on his teammate. After Yuzuki struggled to calm Naruto down, she was forced to pass a message along to Kurenai explaining the situation between Naruto and Hinata along with a request for Naruto to meet with Hinata so he could make amends between them. It had been very difficult for Kurenai to convince Hinata to agree to Naruto's request, but she managed to do it, or so Yuzuki claimed. However, Naruto had been waiting at the Academy for well over an hour, and Hinata still hadn't shown up. Hope started giving way to despair, and Naruto began mentally preparing to give up on Hinata and accept that he would always be alone.

Then, at what seemed like the last possible moment, Hinata finally arrived and walked through the gates. She looked around for a few moments, but made no move to walk towards Naruto. Apparently she was going to make him make the first move.

Naruto hopped off the swing and walked up to her. "Uh, hey Hinata," he greeted her awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Good afternoon, Uzumaki-san," Hinata curtly replied. Her first words in this meeting threatened to set off a chain explosion in Naruto. He _hated_ hearing her use that form of address for him.

"Oh, come on, Hinata! You don't have to be like that!"

"Well, how did you expect me to respond, Naruto-kun?!" Hinata yelled at him. "This behavior doesn't become you at all. You're acting like a complete jerk and I don't like it!"

"A jerk? How about all the times Sakura was being a jerk to me? Did you ever give her the cold shoulder then?!" Naruto snapped.

"That is not fair!"

"Not fair? I'll tell you what's not fair, sitting there every day watching almost everyone in the village either humiliate me, abuse me, or treat me like I don't exist, while you, the one person I was supposed to be able to count on, just stand on the sidelines doing nothing!"

 _Smack!_ Naruto felt his face sting all of a sudden. His eyes hadn't been able to follow the movement, it had been so fast and unexpected, but the sharp pain in his cheek confirmed that yes, Hinata had just slapped him. He was this close to cussing her out for it when he stopped and saw that while Hinata was still glaring at him, his words had also pushed her to tears.

"I wanted to help you for so long, Naruto-kun," Hinata cried. "I wanted to be the one who was there for you. I know it's no excuse, but my confidence was shattered by my clan when they disinherited me. But please believe me when I say that I hated watching you suffer alone. It broke my heart to see you go through all that pain."

"Hinata..."

"But that does _not_ give you the right to take matters into your own hands and hurt Sakura-san like you did! She is still your friend, your _family,_ Naruto-kun! Even if she doesn't show it all the time, she still cares about you!"

Naruto sighed, realizing he was completely defeated in this fight. There was no way he could tell Hinata about how he felt he needed to get away from Team Seven and almost everyone else he'd once been close to, how the pain and neglect he'd suffered during those times made him want to shake off the chains of his past. Hinata would not relent on this matter, and he had no choice but to surrender to her will—and hope he had not just screwed himself out of his one chance to fix things between them.

"O-Okay, Hinata, you win," Naruto said. "I'm—"

"Don't, please don't," Hinata interrupted, turning away from Naruto and continuing to cry. "I-I'm sorry...but I, I need some time alone to think..." her voice trailed off as she started to walk away, but Naruto quickly grabbed her hand. He was not going to let this be the last time they saw each other, not if he could help it.

"Please wait, Hinata. I know you want some time away from me, and I don't blame you. Really, I don't, but please..." Naruto pleaded with her while he slipped one of the two tickets to the fireworks display Yuzuki gave him into her hand. "Please go with me to the festival? I really wanna go with you."

Hinata gripped the ticket in her hand, but did not turn back around to face Naruto. "I'll...I'll think about it," she said, and then ran off before Naruto could say or do anything more.

x-x

New Years Eve had finally arrived and found Naruto waiting outside the front gates to the Hyūga Compound, fidgeting madly and shifting uncomfortably in his new getup. Yuzuki had insisted that Naruto dressed properly for the occasion, so she had custom ordered new attire for him. He was dressed in a traditional black kimono tied down by a gray obi, and wore wooden sandals. And he felt ridiculous.

 _'I know Yuzuki said Hinata would like it if I dressed up nice for her, but I'll be lucky if she doesn't laugh at me,'_ Naruto thought. _'That is, if she even shows up.'_ He was a nervous wreck since his fight with Hinata in the Academy playgrounds and wasn't placing a great deal of faith in her coming back around and giving him the chance he wanted. If she chose to truly reject him, he didn't know what he would do. Hinata was the first, and only girl he had ever genuinely liked as more than a friend. Naruto realized now that what he thought he felt for Sakura had come about out of jealousy towards Sasuke, and had been totally misplaced. But with Hinata, it was different. Hinata's smile made his heart flutter, her laugh was a precious melody, and whenever Naruto spent time with her, whether it was training together or going out for ramen at Ichiraku, her presence made him feel at peace. It was a feeling he didn't want to lose. It was a feeling he would fight with all of his strength to keep.

So it was no small amount of relief Naruto felt when the gates opened a few minutes after his arrival and Hinata walked out to meet him. She had ditched the parka and jeans and was dressed in a white kimono with a lavender flower pattern, and carried a small white handbag. She had her hair tied back in a ponytail and wore a white flower piece in the front.

And she was quick to catch Naruto staring at her.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata called out. It took Naruto a few seconds to register her voice.

"Oh, hey Hinata!" Naruto returned the greeting. "Wow, you look amazing!"

Hinata turned away to hide her blush from his compliment. "You do too, Naruto-kun," she said plainly.

 _'Crap,'_ Naruto thought. _'She's still mad at me.'_ "Well...I guess we should get going now," he said awkwardly. Hinata nodded and followed him as he led the way, but stayed five meters behind him, walking in silence.

The silence between them quickly grew maddening. Naruto knew he should have counted himself lucky that Hinata was even willing to go with him after everything that had happened between them, but he couldn't stand the distance she was continuing to put between them.

"Hinata...are you still mad at me?" Naruto had to stop and ask.

Hinata shook her head and answered, "I can't stay mad at you for long, Naruto-kun. But I don't want you to become something you're not." Naruto didn't know how to respond to that, so he fell silent again. But at least he had closed some of the distance, so the silence wasn't as uncomfortable as before.

When they arrived at the ticket booth a few minutes later, Naruto didn't walk up to the booth right away. He checked to make sure he had his ticket on hand, but to his continued misfortune, the ticket wasn't there.

"Oh crap! Crap, crap, crap!" Naruto shouted.

"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?"

"I don't have my ticket with me! I accidentally grabbed some of Yuzuki's mail instead!" Naruto moaned and dropped to his knees, burying his face in his hands. "I guess Sakura-chan was right about one thing. I really am an idiot. Can't even take the girl I love on a proper first date."

Hinata felt really terrible. Naruto had gone through all this trouble to try to make amends with her and now it looked like it would be for nothing. The fireworks were the main attraction and they had waited to leave their homes until very late, so there would not be much else they could do out in the village, and returning to Naruto's apartment for a private outing was not an option. But how to help Naruto fix this...?

"Um...Naruto-kun?" Hinata said as an idea came to mind, and she activated her Byakugan to scan the area.

"What is it, Hinata?"

"Please get up and follow me. There may still be a way we can watch the fireworks." Naruto instantly shot back to his feet and looked at where Hinata was pointing. "See the castle at the far end of the pavilion? There are four lookout towers, one at each corner of the castle. If we're quiet enough, we can sneak onto the top of one of those towers without anyone noticing."

"Now why didn't I think of that?" Naruto grinned at Hinata. "Let's go!" Hinata nodded and led the way.

x-x

"So beautiful..." Hinata said to herself, enchanted by the numerous flashes of red, blue and green dotting the midnight sky. She was so caught up in the show that she had forgotten Naruto was even there, or that she was still keeping her distance from him.

Naruto was also in a trance, but it wasn't the fireworks that made him that way. He stared at Hinata longingly, wanting to trace the outline of her face with his fingers. But he was stopped cold by the constant fear of rejection. Hinata had already pushed him away twice, and even now she was still keeping her distance and that drove Naruto nuts. But at least she was still here, now, so he had to hope that maybe...

"Hinata..." Naruto called out.

"Y-Yes?" Hinata answered.

"Remember what you said just before we got here? About not wanting me to become something I'm not?"

"Yes, but..."

Naruto hesitantly moved close to Hinata and took her hand into his, but refused to look her in the eye. "What if it's too late? What if I was never who you think I am? What if everything the villagers ever said about me has been true all along, Hinata?"

Hinata couldn't believe what she was hearing. It wasn't because of what Naruto was saying, but because of the fear in his voice as he spoke. Fear that was completely justified from his perspective, especially after what she had done to exacerbate that fear. "I have never cared about what other people say or think about you, Naruto-kun! They need to open their eyes and see that you're a good person! I just want to help you!"

"But how can I be a good person if I'm a monster?"

Hinata froze. Was Naruto about to say what she thought he was? "Naruto-kun...?"

"How can you even stand to be near me, Hinata? Don't you know that I'm the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that almost destroyed Konoha fourteen years ago?"

Hinata pulled her hand out of his lap and pressed it gently against Naruto's cheek. However, Naruto _flinched_ when he felt her hand touch him. Hinata saw this and felt her heart break a little from the knowledge that Naruto believed she would hurt him.

"You are _not_ the Kyūbi, Naruto-kun," Hinata told him, giving him _that_ look (the sad but stern one). "You are not a monster. I have never thought of you as a monster. I never hated you even though I found out about the Kyūbi sealed inside you before we even met for the first time on that snowy day. I'm...I am grateful for you continuing to protect us from the monster fox, and I am grateful for you opening up to me about this. It must have been difficult."

Naruto's eyes widened at the confession from Hinata. "You knew...all this time?" he asked, and Hinata nodded. "Then why? Why don't you hate me like the rest, Hinata? Why are you always so kind to me? I don't understand it and it only makes me feel worse! Just what am I to you?"

Hinata sighed at Naruto's tone. She knew he was still afraid and confused, but astonishingly, the anger she believed he should have felt towards her was completely absent. "You are my comrade and my precious friend, Naruto-kun. What I saw during all those years while I watched you from the shadows was never the monster people claimed you to be. I only saw a hurt little boy crying out for attention. And you were right, I should have stepped in sooner. I should have done something to stop the pain. When I was still the heiress to my clan, I could have made your life so much better, Naruto-kun, but all I ever did was watch," she said, her eyes moist with tears.

Naruto shook his head. "No, I was wrong Hinata. I know you've always looked out for me in your own way and wanted to help me. I needed you to slap some sense into me 'cause God knows only you can," he said. "Can you forgive me, Hinata?"

"I already forgave you, Naruto-kun." Hinata smiled and nodded. "But..." she continued, and Naruto wasn't sure he liked where this was about to go, "there is something else I need to know. That incident with Sakura-san a few weeks ago...that wasn't the Kyūbi manipulating you, was it?"

"No," Naruto admitted. "What you saw back then...that was all me. I...I wasn't really aware of it until recently, but all my life, I've been suppressing certain feelings that I didn't want to feel. Stuff like hate and resentment. But now that I'm aware of what I was doing, it's getting harder to keep those feelings suppressed. And what's worse, is that I don't even want to suppress them anymore.

"Hinata...part of me, a big part of me, hates almost everyone in this village for everything they did to me. I don't want this feeling, but at the same time..."

Hinata flung herself into Naruto's arms, effectively shutting him up. She was crying on his shoulder, feeling so broken inside for hearing Naruto tell her about the suffering he went through, but at the same time, she was happy that Naruto was finally opening up to her. And Hinata knew now that she couldn't keep Naruto at a distance anymore. She needed him, every bit as much as he needed her.

"Thank you..." Hinata whispered softly into Naruto's ear.

"Why, Hinata?" Naruto cried. "Even if it's not the fox that's doing this to me, I'm finding myself wanting to just run away and never look back. I'm so angry all the time now, I feel like I'm gonna burst. And I finally did burst that time on Sakura-chan! What if it's worse next time? What if I really hurt someone? What if I let hatred get the best of me?"

Hinata cupped Naruto's face with her hands and responded with a heavy sigh. She saw how scared Naruto still was and knew that he deeply regretted his actions that day. But she could not, _would not,_ let him slip away. There was only one answer Hinata could give Naruto, only one way she could chase away his fears and heal his despairing heart.

"If it happens again...then put it all on me, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's eyes widened further and he tried to back away. The last thing he wanted was to hurt anyone he cared about ever again, Hinata most of all, but she held him in place, stopping him from moving at all. "Do you even know what you're saying, Hinata? This isn't a game, y'know! If I can't control myself, you could die!"

Hinata remained firm on her stance and gave Naruto her sad smile. "I know, Naruto-kun. That's why it has to be me. You would never hurt me on purpose, so that's why I can help you. Let me take it all, Naruto-kun." She let go of Naruto's cheeks and ran her hands up and down his body as she continued her plea.

"Your pain..." she said while gently caressing his callused hand. "Your fatigue and strife..." as her other hand stroked his legs. "Your sorrow, your weakness..." her hands moved back to his cheeks, wiping away the tears Naruto could no longer hold back. "And your hate and anger," she finished, carefully moving her hands over his heart as a blue aura surrounded them. "I can take it all without fail, Naruto-kun. But what I _can't_ take is you trying to run away! I know you're afraid of killing me or the rest of your friends if you lose control, Naruto-kun, but if you don't confide in me and let me help you, it will destroy both of us! So please let it all out on me...but please don't push me away..."

Naruto's mind flashed back to the night Yuzuki asked if she could live with him. Yuzuki had made a similar plea to the one Hinata did just now, finishing her plea with the exact words Hinata just used. And he knew they were right. He knew from the bottom of his heart that it was time to drop his guard completely and let Hinata in.

"Hinata..." Naruto whispered reverently. Hinata lifted her head up and gazed into Naruto's eyes, and for a few seconds, the entire world seemed to stop abruptly as Naruto said the most important words she had ever heard from him:

 _"I love you."_

Hinata's eyes widened for a brief moment as her first response was to try to dismiss the confession as a figment of her imagination. Once it registered that her mind wasn't playing tricks on her and Naruto had actually confessed, her eyes screwed shut and a fresh wave of tears washed over her cheeks. She felt like her heart was about to burst from the happiness which filled her. No longer able to control herself, Hinata straddled Naruto and kissed him passionately. The world continued to stand still for Hinata as all of her emotions poured out into Naruto through her lips, and his feelings flowed through her as well. In that moment, Hinata felt like she was finally liberated from every burden that had ever held her down.

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata whispered breathlessly as the kiss ended. "I've waited to hear those words for such a long time..."

"I know, Hinata...I know that now..." Naruto whispered back, carefully running his hands down Hinata's back.

"You will never have to worry about us being apart ever again," Hinata continued, running her hands through Naruto's spiky hair. "I'm not going anywhere. I love you too, Naruto-kun; I always have. And from this night forth, I will always be there for you." Naruto trembled in Hinata's embrace as she affirmed the reciprocation of his feelings. He pulled her closer to him, reveling in the peace and security he felt in her presence. As he held her in his arms, he felt like he had been released from all the fears that ruled his mind.

"So..." Naruto asked after a few long seconds of sublime silence, "does this mean that you'll be my girlfriend?"

After all the tension that had been built up between them and released tonight, Hinata couldn't help herself. She _laughed!_ She had to lift herself out of Naruto's lap to avoid knocking him over during her laughing fit. Naruto briefly looked at her with confusion, but his face soon melted into a much more tender expression. Her voice truly was the sweetest melody.

"Silly Naruto-kun. Of course I will." Hinata lightly bopped Naruto on the head, while smiling so he'd know she meant no harm. "But you still have to apologize to Sakura-san, okay?"

"Yes, _Hinata-sama,"_ Naruto teased, earning him a playful slap on the shoulder along with another laughing fit. He sighed and smiled at Hinata, and played with the bangs framing her face as he asked, "I just can't win an argument with you, can I, Hinata?"

"Nope. I'm glad we established that early, Naruto-kun." Hinata crawled back into Naruto's lap, closed her eyes and nuzzled his chest, drawing out a sigh of contentment from her new boyfriend.

"Hey, as much as I like what you're doing right now, you're gonna miss the rest of the fireworks if you keep it up," Naruto reminded her.

"But I like it here," Hinata moaned. "Being this close to Naruto-kun makes me happy."

"Then let's do this." Naruto picked Hinata up, turned her around and set her back down on his lap facing forward, then wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. "Now you don't have to miss the show," he whispered into her ear.

"Hehehe...I guess not," Hinata giggled. She wrapped her arms around Naruto's, and leaned into his chest and rested her head on his shoulder as the firework show reached its big finale. But the many lights that erupted into the sky could not even begin to compare to the beauty she felt as she sat in Naruto's lap, now that she was finally able to hold his heart in her hands.

 _'If this is a dream,'_ Hinata and Naruto thought at the same time, _'I don't ever want it to end...'_

x-x

The new couple stayed hidden atop the lookout tower for a while after the fireworks display came to a close. Once they felt it was safe to sneak back out, they left and started walking back towards the Hyūga Compound, Hinata resting her head on Naruto's shoulder and gripping his hand tightly in hers. But while Hinata felt contentment, Naruto was starting to be overcome by confusion again.

"I wonder what I grabbed when I left," Naruto said to himself about halfway between the pavilion and the compound. "Yuzuki doesn't get that much mail." He reached for the envelope, but Hinata stopped him before he could open it.

"Naruto-kun? Are you sure you should read that?" Hinata asked.

"It's fine. Yuzuki let me read her mail before, so I'm sure she won't mind now," Naruto insisted. He carefully opened it and unfolded the contained document, skimming it over quickly. However, the contents of that document instantly brought him to tears.

"This is why she wanted to live with me?" Naruto asked himself. "Is this why she—" he dropped to his knees, unable to finish that sentence.

"Naruto-kun? What's wrong?" Hinata asked, quickly lowering herself down to embrace Naruto. But she didn't even get a single second to hold Naruto before he broke away and started running.

"I'm sorry, Hinata, but there's something I gotta take care of, like right now!"

 _'Oh, no you don't!'_ Hinata screamed in her head, rapidly catching up to Naruto and stopping him abruptly. "You're not leaving me like this, Naruto-kun, especially not on our first date!"

"Hinata, please let go!" Naruto begged her, but she wouldn't loosen her grip on him. "I really wish I could stay with you, Hinata, but this is super important! I have to find Yuzuki-kā-chan!"

 _'Did he just call Yuzuki 'kā-chan'? Did I really hear that right?'_ "Then I will go with you, Naruto-kun," Hinata said resolutely. Naruto nodded and Hinata allowed him to keep running, their hands joined together as they both left in search of answers.

x-x

Yuzuki was currently sitting in front of Tsunade's desk, though with the way the atmosphere inside the Hokage's office had shifted she felt more like a prisoner than a guest. Tsunade was rapidly finishing off her bottle of saké to prepare herself for what she had to address.

"Thank you for coming, Yuzuki," Tsunade said, folding her hands on her desk. Yuzuki observed that Tsunade had dropped the respectful honorific, which set off an alarm in her mind.

"Well, Naruto-kun and Hinata-chan are out on their first date right now, so it's not like I had anything to do," Yuzuki smoothly replied, but couldn't keep the giddiness out of her voice as she spoke. Tsunade took a mental note of that tone; she knew she would have to remember that particular observation in the future.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't call you here so we could have our own private party to celebrate the occasion. This is strictly a business meeting."

"Oh?" Yuzuki's jubilation evaporated and the expressionless Hyūga stare replaced it. "What business would that be, Tsunade-sama?"

"First, you need to explain this," Tsunade said in a commanding tone, reaching into a drawer to pull out the transfer request Naruto had filed three weeks ago.

Her attempt to intimidate Yuzuki had precisely zero effect: "I must inform you that I do not see what the problem is here, Tsunade-sama. Naruto-kun was clearly unhappy on Team Seven and showed us on several occasions that he was much happier spending his time around Team Eight. It is only natural that I would give my consent for Naruto-kun to file the request. Wouldn't any responsible mother who loves her son do the same thing in a similar situation?"

"'Any responsible mother'? I thought you didn't like the idea of replacing Naruto's birth mother."

Yuzuki was only slightly flustered by Tsunade's challenge. "I only said that I did not want Naruto-kun to find out about our arrangement. These are my own feelings and I trust and love Naruto-kun as though he was my biological son."

"Hmmmm," Tsunade mulled over Yuzuki's words. "Very well," she said, leaning back in her chair. "Be that as it may, the request was already rejected and will not be reconsidered, not only because Team Eight already has four active members but for other reasons as well."

"And those are?" Yuzuki asked raising an eyebrow.

"How does manipulation of a jinchūriki sound?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed and her voice dipped several octaves lower than usual as she finally launched her accusation.

"Are you suggesting I would manipulate my own child?" Yuzuki said, her voice also turning cold.

"Well, it'd be kinda hard for a dutiful son to resist pleasing his mother."

"And how exactly have I manipulated Naruto-kun?"

"Shizune-chan, why don't you let Sakura in now?" Tsunade said. Shizune didn't like where this was going but she nodded and opened the door. Sakura walked in and took one look at Yuzuki, then rubbed her eyes, feeling the need to make sure her sight wasn't deceiving her.

 _'She looks just like Hinata!'_ Sakura thought. "Uh, it's nice to finally meet you Yuzuki-san. I just wish it was under better circumstances," she said, offering her hand to Yuzuki.

"As do I," Yuzuki replied, accepting Sakura's handshake. She turned back to Tsunade and continued, "Hokage-sama, I have already scolded Naruto-kun for his behavior and told him he needed to apologize. Why would you mistakenly assume that I instructed Naruto-kun to hit Sakura-chan?"

"You wouldn't have to tell him directly," Tsunade said. "Isn't it odd, that ever since Naruto returned to Konoha he has been spending more and more time with Team Eight, specifically Hinata than his own team?"

"Except that Naruto-kun had your permission to do so until after the Chūnin Exams," Yuzuki countered.

"That may be true, Yuzuki, but after spending so much time with Team Eight, and more specifically Hinata, lo and behold he attacks Sakura from right out of the blue. Am I supposed to believe that this is simply a coincidence?" Tsunade challenged the time-displaced Hyūga.

"You have never done anything to punish Sakura-chan for physically abusing Naruto-kun," Yuzuki answered the Fifth's challenge in a colder tone than before. She was way past the point of giving a damn about Tsunade's misconceptions regarding her loyalty. "You are also guilty of inflicting physical abuse on Naruto-kun yourself, Hokage-sama, so it is clear that you condone using senseless violence against Naruto-kun. And yet you choose to blame me because Naruto-kun decided one time to lash out against some of the people who abuse him, when all I have ever done is show him gentleness and offered him an escape from that abuse. You are the pot who is calling the kettle black, Hokage-sama. _If_ Naruto-kun decides to turn against Konoha, the blame will rest squarely on _your_ shoulders, because you couldn't stop bullying the dragon that protects the village."

 **"Alright, I think we've played this game long enough!"** Tsunade shouted, standing up and slamming her hands on her desk. **"What have you been putting in that boy's head? Why does he trust you so much when it took the rest of his important people years of trying and he still only opens up to us barely? Oh, and do you care to explain why there are no birth records of you in the village and why your DNA is an exact match for Hinata's!"** Tsunade kept shouting as she dropped the relevant paperwork in front of Yuzuki. **"Just who the hell are you?!"**

Yuzuki balked. What Tsunade had just pulled on her wasn't merely bad, it was just about the worst case scenario. She knew she should have been more careful. Giving them a sample of her blood, while it was standard procedure...what on earth had she been thinking? "I-I can explain!" she stammered.

"Oh my God!" Sakura gasped. "She stutters like Hinata too!"

Tsunade silenced them with a wave of her hand. "There will be no need for that Yuzuki, if that is really who you are." The door opened right after Tsunade finished, and Inoichi Yamanaka walked inside. Yuzuki knew what was going to happen and jumped up, but Tsunade had Sakura push her back down and use her Chakra Enhanced Strength to keep her restrained.

"No you can't!" _'If they find out I'm from the future everything will be ruined!'_

"I'm afraid you've left us no choice. Naruto has become uncontrollable ever since you came along. I regret trusting you so much and giving you guardianship over him without obtaining proper knowledge of you first. Your kindness towards the brat is something I'll be forever grateful for, but if what we find in that head of yours proves to be incriminating…"

Yuzuki turned to look at Tsunade again and read her lips in almost slow motion. **"You will never see a blond hair on his his head again."**

Right as Tsunade finished, everyone present heard a loud smash. The roof caved in on them, burying Tsunade, Shizune and Inoichi in the rubble. When the dust started to clear, Yuzuki and Sakura were left to face none other than Danzō.

"Oh, I'm afraid you're far too late for that," Danzō announced. "The last any of you will ever see of the jinchūriki is when I make him watch you all die."

x-x

 **Editor's Note: This is the very definition of a chapter that tried to run away from the original plans, and stumbled a few times along the way. It's also filled with angst as Naruto tries to push himself away from his surrogate family, only to nearly cost himself his chance to be with Hinata.**

 **Also, the Keikaku card was played. Enter the star of the Hyūga Conspiracy: Hiashi Hyūga, Master Eugenicist.**

 **And no, Neji is not a jōnin this time. He's only a chūnin. The author decided it would cause too many problems if Neji got the double promotion while Lee and Tenten only got a single promotion.**

 **And was this an appropriate time to invoke the dreaded Cliffhanger Jutsu?**

 **A/N: Ah yes, the dreaded cliffhanger no jutsu. Drama, angst, hurt/comfort and romance, we had it all this chapter folks. The editor and I really had to work on this one and I can't say it was not without a few debates here and there. But like a good editor he managed to find a great way to make everything work while keeping to what I originally had in mind, well mostly. For example, the part where Naruto hits Sakura, now don't get me wrong I'm not a Sakura hater like I've said before, but I also find that she's an easy way to add a dramatic flair to a story. (I have a certain plan for her in my next fic that is going to throw people for a spin but it will be good I think.) Anyway that was not really the issue, the issue was how Hinata reacted. Personally I don't like writing fight scenes between Naruto and Hinata, I just can never picture them arguing. But the editor insisted and was correct in thinking it should be done and thus it was made. (Still will never get used to writing scenes like that though. NaruHina are my babies lol.) The scene I personally liked the most was the fireworks scene and I'm sure many of you can guess why. Let's see if any of you can find the Easter egg in that scene, shall we? And if you do don't say it in your reviews please. Also don't get mad at me, I always thought it would be a better NaruHina interaction that sadly never happened in canon. Oh and it seems Naruto has found out about why Yuzuki wanted to live with and take care of him. Wonder what he is gonna say next chapter as things start to go to hell? Oh well. And with that we have officially entered the next story arc, so please leave your feedback and tell me what you guys thought!**

 **Review Responses: (Since it's been a while)**

 **Hektols: Tsunade comes off as an inconsistent character in both canon and filler. At times, she will force others to adopt the same faith in Naruto that she claims to have, but at other times, she will make decisions that end up hurting Naruto greatly, or would hurt him greatly if he wasn't always so damn forgiving. It's definitely the same way here, except Naruto may be somewhat less forgiving due to his dark side's influence.**

 **NarHina: Sorry to disappoint, but it makes no sense for Sakura to revile Naruto for being a jinchūriki - she is the second smartest member of the Rookie 9, behind only Shikamaru, and all the fics you've read where she hates Naruto for having Kurama sealed inside him are generally very poorly written. I am not a fan of Sakura, but Sakura bashing is one of the quickest and most effective ways to completely ruin a story, and it should be avoided whenever possible.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Warning: more graphic violence and a major character death.**

x-x

 **Chapter 14: The Demon Reborn**

True to form, Tsunade was not held down by the debris for longer than five seconds. She easily smashed through the rubble, freeing Inoichi and Shizune as well, then stared down the treasonous war hawk with the strongest murderous intent she had ever emitted.

 **"Danzō!"**

Danzō chuckled at Tsunade's howling. "How unfortunate of me to have angered the great Tsunade of the Sannin, last known survivor of the Senju Clan," he said sarcastically. "Perhaps I should be running in terror right now."

 **"Oh, this time you won't be going anywhere. I'll rip your legs off to make sure of it."**

"Tsunade-sama," Inoichi cut in, "I sense thirty hostile chakra signatures surrounding us and closing in fast. There's also something...off about Danzō's chakra."

 **"What are you—"** but a closer look at Danzō stopped Tsunade from finishing that sentence. The traitor had removed the coverings on the right side of his upper body and she could clearly see now just what he had done to himself in his advanced age. Tsunade spotted eleven Sharingan, one in his right eye socket, and the other ten implanted into his gray right arm. She also saw that the face of her grandfather was on Danzō's right shoulder, confirming that he also grafted some of the First Hokage's cells onto his arm and gained access to Hashirama's fabled Wood Style kekkei genkai along with his Regeneration Ability.

The thirty Root Anbu surrounding the Hokage Tower likely had an average skill level equivalent to a tokubetsu jōnin. Those wouldn't even make Tsunade work up a sweat. But Danzō had already been one of the village's elite prior to his body modifications, and said modifications potentially elevated him to Kage level. He was the real threat, and Tsunade was no longer certain she could kill him.

 **"It wasn't enough that you had to order the slaying of the Uchiha, was it? You also had to desecrate their bodies for your inhuman experiments!"** Tsunade screamed.

"It's par for the course, Tsunade-hime," Danzō said dismissively. "I was not the first in the village to conduct scientific research on our dead shinobi for the benefit of the living, nor will I be the last. And not that it matters, but this prosthetic was already in use before the Uchiha Clan's rebellion was put down.

"Now, as I said when I graced you with my presence, it is sadly far too late for you to take corrective actions to set Konoha back on its proper course. After tonight, the new Hi no Kuni Daimyō will recognize me as the rightful Hokage of Konoha, and he will demand your blood. And while I may desire to battle you myself, I regret to inform you that I lack the time for such an indulgence."

 **"Oh, believe me, we have all the time in the world to settle this."** Tsunade cracked her knuckles and charged in at Danzō. However, before she could take more than one step she found her entire body sans her head surrounded by kikaichū, which were already draining her chakra and restraining her movements.

 **"The Aburame Clan's jutsu,"** Tsunade muttered to herself. **"You convinced the Aburame to condemn one of their own."**

"Hardly the word I would use to describe their contributions to the continued survival of Konoha," Danzō said. "An exemplary job as usual, Torune," he acknowledged his bodyguard. Torune simply nodded and continued to keep Tsunade under restraint with his kikaichū.

"I believe we are still missing four prisoners, and I would much prefer to get this over with quickly," the war hawk continued. He did not have to demand to know where the first two of those four were, however, as moments later four Root Anbu entered through the front door, two of them restraining Yūzuki, the other two throwing Sakura down onto the floor and stabbing both of her forearms with their tantō to keep her pinned. Yūzuki, Inoichi and Shizune all attempted to issue counterattacks, but the former found herself hit with a cursed seal from Danzō that left her paralyzed, and the latter two also received crippling injuries: Inoichi was forced to kneel on all fours by a harsh blow to his lower back and had a tantō driven through both of his hands, while Shizune was slammed onto the floor and screamed in agony as another Root Anbu wearing metal gauntlets slammed his hands down on hers several times, crushing every bone in them.

"Five down, two to go," Torune wryly commented. "The jinchūriki and his girlfriend should be here any second now." As if on cue, an additional four-man platoon of Root Anbu marched into the office, carrying Naruto and Hinata. Naruto had been forced into a straitjacket which had dozens of chakra suppressing seals woven into its fabric, and the skin around his left eye was swollen and forced his eye closed. Hinata was suffering from a dislocated right shoulder, dozens of minor cuts on both arms and a large gash in her left shin. Her kimono had been torn to rags by the altercation she'd had with the Root Anbu and the only thing protecting her breasts from exposure were some white chest bindings that had been stained red with her blood.

"Ah, excellent," Danzō commented as the last party entered the crowded office. "This is what happens when you spread your forces too thin, Tsunade-hime. You left both yourself and the jinchūriki with inadequate protection. A pity, too. He and his companion were having such a wonderful night, up until they walked right into an ambush," he said with a smirk. Seeing what Danzō's Root Anbu had already done to Naruto and her younger self sent Yūzuki into a rage; however, due to the Self-Cursing Seal on her neck she wasn't currently able to do much other than scream.

"Let Naruto-kun go!" Yūzuki demanded. She was answered by Danzō swinging his cane at her, striking her face with near lethal force. She fell to the floor and struggled to get back up.

"That's not how this works, Yūzuki. You don't get to negotiate. A true shinobi does not attempt to reason with threats to his village, he eliminates them immediately. And you, trying to masquerade as a Hyūga and corrupt the loyalties of our jinchūriki, are the greatest threat to Konoha that currently exists. But, I will make a minor exception this one time and delay your execution for a few minutes. I told myself after I awakened from my coma that I would show you proper gratitude for your role in making my ascent to the Hokage title possible, and what better way to do that than by having you watch as I carry out the death sentences of everyone else who is close to your... _surrogate son,"_ Danzō said with thinly veiled disgust.

"I demand an explanation for this!" Inoichi yelled out in spite of the pain wracking his body. His outburst managed to earn Danzō's undivided attention, as he sighed and turned to face the Yamanaka patriarch.

"I apologize, Inoichi. It is a shame that you were summoned to the wrong place at the wrong time tonight. For you see, you have already learned too much for me to permit you to live."

Sweat rolled down Inoichi's face, but he refused to give in to the fear of imminent death. "The Tsukuyomi drove you insane. You've forgotten that I'm the leader of the Yamanaka Clan and an important member of the Intelligence Division and the Torture and Interrogation Force. If you kill me, the entire Yamanaka Clan, along with the Nara Clan and the Akimichi Clan, will wage war on you. They will never recognize you as Hokage, Danzō!"

"That outcome depends on the assumption that they continue to believe you are still a loyal shinobi of Konoha. But I am afraid that you have gone rogue, and now I must deliver justice." Danzō did not give Inoichi another chance to argue his case. One brief gust of wind later and Inoichi's head was bouncing across the floor, severed from his body by a scimitar formed out of Wind chakra. All of the Root's remaining prisoners were soon shaking from either shock or rage as Inoichi's headless body collapsed at Danzō's feet.

"You really have lost your mind!" Shizune accused as Inoichi's severed head landed close to her broken hands.

"On the contrary, I and my loyal soldiers are the only ones here who are sane," Danzō waved off Shizune. "Inoichi was an unfortunate loss for Konoha. But honestly, who would have thought you would have the nerve to attempt your own investigation into the impostor, Tsunade?" he nearly shouted as he turned back to face Yūzuki.

"How on earth do you expect to get away with this? Inoichi-san wasn't making an empty threat when he promised that his clan and their allies would take revenge on you after you just murdered him in cold blood!" Shizune continued screaming.

"Again, you are using the wrong terminology." Danzō shrugged as he again focused on Shizune. "It was a lawful execution of a convicted traitor. It was tragic, really, how Inoichi discovered the existence of Yūzuki and decided to conspire with her to bring about the destruction of Konoha. And you, rather than do your duty to Konoha, also chose to cast your lot with the traitors."

"No one in this village will believe your lies!"

"Truth is decided by the victors, Shizune. And the truth is, you have been found guilty of high treason against Konohagakure and Hi no Kuni, and are hereby sentenced to death." Danzō nodded at Torune, who surrounded his hands with a more dangerous breed of insect, the rinkaichū. Before Shizune could speak again, Torune punched her in the throat with his right fist, and his rinkaichū immediately injected her with their lethal venom. Shizune's body convulsed violently as the intense pain from the nano-insect's venom quickly overwhelmed all of her vital organs.

Just a few seconds after Torune's assault, Shizune collapsed onto the floor, her lifeless body still twitching from the after-effects of the venom.

For a few seconds after that, nobody dared make a single sound or movement. Every living ninja present here had just witnessed the cruel deaths of two of Konoha's elite. Inoichi Yamanaka's beheading had already shaken them greatly, even those who hadn't known him, but Shizune Katō had been far closer to them, thus her murder hit them harder. Shizune had been especially close to Naruto; in fact, out of all the shinobi in the village aside from Hinata and Yūzuki, Shizune had been the kindest towards him. She was an elder sister figure for Naruto, and all he could do for her now was cry over her unjust death.

As for Tsunade, she took this murder even worse than Naruto. Shizune had been the niece of her deceased lover Dan, and when Tsunade ran from Konoha after Dan's death she had promised to protect Shizune with her life. A promise she had just broken.

 **"Danzō!"** Tsunade howled in a mixture of agony and rage as she struggled in vain to escape her insectoid restraints. **"I'm going to kill you for this! Do you hear me, you bastard?! You're dead, you're fucking DEAD!"**

Danzō responded to the verbal threat by striking Tsunade hard with his cane, sending her toppling over the remains of her desk.

"Do not pin the blame for Shizune's death on me, Tsunade-hime. Had you gone against Jiraiya in the wake of Hiruzen's final sacrifice and decided not to return to Konoha, Shizune may have yet been allowed to live. Yet you chose to return and partake in this conspiracy to commit treason against Konoha. Her death is on your hands."

That was complete bullshit, but Tsunade no longer had the energy to argue. Her chakra was already running low due to the kikaichū swarm engulfing her body, and her anger was giving way to grief. Was Danzō actually right? Would Shizune still be alive if she had chosen to keep running from this accursed village? And what of Yūzuki's accusations against her just before this crisis started? Was Yūzuki also right to challenge her over the way she'd treated Naruto since her return?

'If _Naruto-kun decides to turn against Konoha, the blame will rest squarely on_ your _shoulders, because you couldn't stop bullying the dragon that protects the village,'_ Yūzuki had claimed. Those words now haunted Tsunade and would likely do so for a long time, after witnessing Shizune's murder and being subject to Danzō's accusations.

"Hmm," Danzō said after a few seconds of carefully measured silence, once more turning his attention on Yūzuki and in the process, drawing Tsunade out of her doubts. "I suppose it is not entirely just to hoist all of the blame on the Slug Princess. You have your share of the blame for this as well, Yūzuki. After all, it is primarily because of your bizarre relationship with the jinchūriki that this demonstration of my superiority is possible." Danzō took his time in examining Yūzuki, looking at her as though she was nothing more than one of Orochimaru's test subjects. Then he turned to face Naruto, who was still crying but was now also glaring at Danzō. "How interesting. I wonder..." his voice trailed off and he weaved a quick hand seal, and the Self-Cursing Seal on Yūzuki activated, sending crippling pain throughout her body and eliciting a deafening scream.

His torture of Yūzuki drew the desired reaction from Naruto: Danzō observed that the jinchūriki was thrashing against his restraints, attempting to rip apart his straitjacket. "The jinchūriki has grown quite fond of you, Yūzuki. Did you know that when he and his companion ran headlong into our ambush, he was carrying a most interesting document with him?" Danzō reached under his robes and pulled out the document to which he referred. He read, "In accordance with village law, and by sacrificing all legal right to carry her clan name and the privileges thereof, Yūzuki Hyūga is granted full custody over Naruto Uzumaki." He shoved the document back under his robes and continued, "There is no need to repeat the rest of the tedious wording; such stuff is a waste of time. But why did the jinchūriki even have such a document on his person? Unless..." Danzō looked back and forth between Yūzuki and Naruto and saw that Naruto was still trying desperately to communicate with her through his moistened eyes.

"Na-Naruto-kun, I, I didn't, I wasn't trying to..." Yūzuki tried to say, but the words she wanted to speak to him would not come.

"So I see you never told the jinchūriki about how a random stranger could be granted permission to live with him?" Naruto's eyes widened from Danzō's accusatory tone. "Yes, boy. Even you must realize that this document effectively makes her your mother."

Yūzuki turned away from Naruto, trying in vain to hide the tears in her eyes. She believed Naruto would now be angry with her for lying to him about keeping this from him, about trying to become the mother he'd never had in his childhood. "I-I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun..."

"Spare the apologies, Yūzuki. They will soon be irrelevant to your situation," Danzō interrupted. Both Naruto and Yūzuki glared at him, but could not say anything in response.

"There is a great deal about you that piques my interest." Danzō paused to allow himself a cruel chuckle before continuing, "It escapes my understanding, how you are so easily able to attract positive attention from the Hyūga Clan. Especially from Hiashi Hyūga's eldest daughter. I must wonder what game that particular clan head is playing. Hiashi is one of the few who remains successful at concealing his secrets from me. But no matter." Danzō motioned for Hinata's captors to push her closer to Yūzuki, however no one present was in the right state of mind to recognize the astounding similarities between Hinata and Yūzuki. Then he turned to Naruto and said, "Now is the moment of truth, boy. Now is the time when you must make the choice that will define the rest of your life of servitude to Konoha. Which of these two dies first? Your girlfriend, or your legal guardian? I would have allowed you to choose Tsunade-hime instead, but regrettably, Tsunade needs to live long enough for the Daimyō to personally witness her execution."

Naruto shook his head and struggled harder to rip himself out of his restraints. He was not going to allow any more of his loved ones to die and he was not going to let this bastard force him to make them die! He was going to kill this psycho personally for everything that happened here! No one threatens his precious people and gets away with it!

But Danzō just laughed at Naruto's feeble efforts to escape. "If you don't choose, then I will have no choice but to choose for you. So pay close attention to my demonstration. Allow the sight of me mutilating your girlfriend's face, tarnishing her celestial beauty and rendering her unrecognizable, to be forever seared into your skull as punishment for your dereliction of duty."

 **"You're beyond insane!"** Tsunade screamed. **"It isn't bad enough you had to murder one clan head, now you propose to murder the firstborn daughter of the most powerful clan in Konoha? Even if you get away with killing us, Danzō, you have completely fucked yourself over! The Hyūga have many allies outside the walls of Konoha. Declaring war on them means declaring war on the entire country!"**

"And it is a war I will still win in my mission to unify this world under the banner of Konoha," Danzō arrogantly proclaimed, and struck Tsunade in the throat. She collapsed again and choked from the crippling blow to her vocal cords. "Now be silent. The jinchūriki still needs to choose which of his forbidden attachments he is most willing to sacrifice first."

Amazingly, Naruto managed to pull free of the two Root Anbu who were holding him down and tried to charge at Danzo. However, he was quickly stopped when the treacherous elder thrust his cane into Naruto's stomach, making him double over as a third Root Anbu joined the two who were holding him down.

"I have lost my patience with you, boy! Choose now!" Danzō shouted.

"Go fuck yourself," Naruto wheezed out. His defiance earned him another harsh blow from Danzō's cane.

"So be it." Danzō took the kunai which had been used to decapitate Inoichi back out and walked towards Hinata. Slowly, methodically he dug the blade into her forehead and carved a deep line down over her left eye and across her cheek, stopping just above her jaw. Hinata screamed in intense pain as blood gushed out of the slash wound. Naruto, still firmly restrained, thrashed about wildly trying to get free of his captors and tear Danzō apart like a wild animal.

"Now you decide to respond appropriately! The anger of a jinchūriki is a sight to behold, particularly when he is incapable of acting upon it! Now show me more!" Danzō bellowed out a deranged laugh and turned his kunai back on Hinata, slashing off her ponytail. Time seemed to slow down for a few seconds as the indigo strands fell like autumn leaves. Naruto kept howling and struggling against his captors, driven by the all-consuming desire to protect the love of his life and destroy everyone who dared to harm her.

But then Danzō did something completely unexpected. He dropped his kunai, stunning Naruto into a palpable silence. Curious about why he stopped, Danzō motioned for his Root to release him temporarily.

"Have you finally made your choice?" the war hawk demanded.

Naruto shook his head and flung away the tears his body could no longer produce. "Stop. Please stop this. Please don't hurt them anymore. I'll, I'll do anything you want. But please don't hurt Hinata or Yūzuki-kā-chan. They're not the ones you want. It's me, it's always been me. And I can't lose my family...not again..."

After all the torture Yūzuki endured, her world came to an abrupt halt. Had Naruto really just called her his mother? Was he not angry at all with her for keeping this life-changing secret? She looked at Naruto, searching his eyes for an answer, only to see him throw himself in front of Danzō, willingly sacrificing his freedom for the sake of his precious people.

But Naruto's desperate plea did nothing to soften Danzō's brimstone heart. The elder snarled at Naruto and kicked his gut with such force that it sent him into the air, allowing him to deliver a vicious fist to Naruto's gut and rupture his internal organs. Naruto coughed up blood as he fell back onto the floor. Danzō did not give him any respite, slamming his cane into the back of Naruto's head, then kicking him several more times. By the time the last kick connected, Naruto was starting to choke on his own blood.

 _"This_ is what Konoha has done with the Kyūbi jinchūriki?" Danzō said incredulously. "This is how you choose to shirk his duty and squander his potential as the ultimate weapon? You have allowed this child to grow so weak that he will never be worth training properly!" Danzō delivered yet another kick to Naruto's stomach, then grabbed his hair and violently yanked him up to make him kneel upright. "After Tsunade is publicly executed, I will have the Kyūbi no Yōko extracted from your worthless body and sealed inside of mine. With the power of the Senju and the Uchiha at my beck and call, the Kyūbi will truly be brought to heel and forged into the weapon Konoha needs to return to dominance, and with its power, no one will ever be able to challenge me and survive!"

The Shinobi of Darkness dropped the Child of Prophecy back to the floor and walked towards the child's chosen mate, who was fading out of consciousness. "And now, I will once and for all purge Konoha of its remaining weaknesses." With one Wind-infused slash, Danzō tore off the rest of Hinata's ruined garments, leaving her naked from the waist up and leaving several bloody scars across her breasts, collarbone and stomach. He then picked up his kunai and thrust forward, striking at Hinata's gentle heart.

In the next moment, the whole world around Danzō exploded.

Up until that point, Yūzuki had only been able to watch in abject horror as Naruto wailed, the same way she had wailed when he died in her timeline. The sound of Naruto's tortured scream caused Yūzuki's whole life to flash before her eyes as Danzō moved to kill her younger self, Danzō neither knowing or caring that his sin would damn the entire human race; for killing Hinata would set off a chain reaction that would kill Yūzuki, erase her yūrei Naruto from existence, and cause the living Naruto to die once more.

Before Danzō's attack could strike true, his kunai was _melted_ by an extreme heat which emanated from Yūzuki. In her righteous fury, Yūzuki burned out the Self-Cursing Seal Danzō had applied to her and awakened a heightened state of power, a new "Chakra Mode", so to speak.

Exactly one second after Danzō vanished into thin air from the flames searing his body, the Root Anbu who had been restraining Naruto and Hinata were reduced to ashes.

Exactly one second after that, Yūzuki appeared in front of Torune and slammed her palm into his chest, liquefying his heart and incinerating his entire chakra network. Torune died instantly, his body's final actions being the expulsion of blood from his mouth and the fall backwards. And as he died, the purple flames surrounding Yūzuki also destroyed all of his insects.

And in the next ten seconds after Torune's death, the remaining Root Anbu that had been gathered by Danzō to help facilitate his coup d'état all met their own demise, either struck down by a lethal tenketsu strike or cremated on the spot by Yūzuki's flame aura.

Shimmering back into view on the roof of the closest building to the Hokage Tower, Danzō observed the scene in the office he lusted after with dread as one of the ten Sharingan on his right arm permanently closed. He recalled the few pieces of art that had survived from the era of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's despotic rule, and it struck him deeply how Yūzuki's eyes now invoked an even greater feeling of terror than Kaguya's. And with fully one-third of his elite vanguard terminated, Danzō was left frozen in place as Yūzuki slammed him with a killing intent that was not of this world.

Momentarily satisfied with the present condition of her enemy, Yūzuki carefully lifted Hinata into her arms. Even though Yūzuki still had her Hamura Chakra Mode activated, the flames had absolutely no negative effect on Hinata's limp body. Yūzuki laid Hinata down next to Naruto, who was finally free of his restraints and could start using the Kyūbi's chakra to heal thanks to her intense chakra, then took off her jacket and laid it down over Hinata to preserve her modesty.

"I will return soon, Naruto-kun, but until I do, I need you to stay here. Do you understand?" Yūzuki asked in a tone and with a stare that completely sapped Naruto of his will to protest. He gave Yūzuki a slow nod. And with Naruto's safety confirmed, Yūzuki lunged at the Shinobi of Darkness with a fury that would have subdued even the demonic Rabbit Goddess.

"As for you," Yūzuki howled. "You have incurred the wrath of Hamura Ōtsutsuki, celestial ancestor of the Hyūga Clan. As the instrument of Hamura's wrath and the inheritor of his will, I, Yūzuki Hyūga, the Byakugan Princess, will extinguish your wretched life of darkness with the divine light of justice!"

x-x

Danzō was still too shocked to make any movement. He almost didn't even see the vicious palm thrust to his midsection that launched him like a cannonball off the roof and slammed him back into the outer walls of the damaged Hokage Tower.

 _'To think she can channel so much power into a basic attack...no Hyūga is possibly capable of such a feat!'_ the Shinobi of Darkness internally raged as he pulled himself out of the wall and coughed up blood. The attack had cracked several of his ribs, but thankfully for him, the injuries were not severe enough to necessitate sacrificing another Sharingan to erase. He would let the First Hokage's Regeneration Ability tend to those wounds while he ran from Yūzuki and she gave chase. He had no time to stop and figure out how this impostor had already done so much damage to him and his organization in so little time.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Blade!" Danzō yelled, pulling four shuriken out from under his left sleeve and infusing them with elemental chakra. The shuriken appeared to expand to many times their original size and flew at Yūzuki at hypersonic speed. Her fiery chakra cloak managed to deflect two of the shuriken, but the other two cut clean through the flames and sliced across her arms and as they did, Yūzuki observed that the shuriken had sucked away some of the flames from her shield upon their brief contact.

 _'Damn it,'_ Yūzuki swore. _'I cannot allow the traitor to keep his distance. If he can hit me with any other vacuum jutsu, my Hamura Chakra Mode will be rendered useless.'_ However, she was not inept at fighting a ranged battle when necessary. Yūzuki had pushed her Hyūga Main House techniques to their furthest limits and achieved feats no one else could boast of.

But Yūzuki also had not restricted herself to just the Hyūga move set.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu Scarlet Claw!" Yūzuki weaved seven hand seals and threw eight shuriken at Danzō, imbuing them all with Fire chakra. Even though it was an enhanced version of the basic technique, Danzō was fully aware that the jutsu's main purpose was still to create a distraction rather than inflict damage on a target.

"A bold move, continuing to rely on your Fire Style techniques!" Danzō shouted. "I'll have to disabuse you of the notion quickly. Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets!" Several small, nearly invisible projectiles flew out of Danzō's mouth and pelted the flame-imbued shuriken. Instead of making the fires stronger like a Wind Style jutsu normally would, the barrage sucked away the flames, then deflected the shuriken back at Yūzuki. For just a moment, it seemed like this attack had backfired on her. However, Yūzuki caught the shuriken mid-flight and sent them back at Danzo, this time imbuing them with the purple flames from her Hamura Chakra Mode.

 _'This girl is very tenacious!'_ Danzō thought as the shuriken pierced his legs and dropped him onto his knees. He tried to force himself up, but was struck with a vicious blow to his head.

"Eight Trigrams: Lion Palm!" Yūzuki howled, launching a lion-shaped chakra projectile at the Shinobi of Darkness. The impact to his head felt like being struck by an iron hammer which had been newly forged by a blacksmith. Danzō flew off the rooftop and plummeted down into the streets twenty meters below, crashing through several market stands as he kept tumbling. The impact frightened many of the shopkeepers and their customers who were present for the New Years Festival, and they quickly ran away from the scene.

 _'That was too easy,'_ Yūzuki thought as she observed the scene with her Byakugan, trying to locate Danzō. To her horror, she could not find any trace of him in the rubble. She tried to extend her range, but then...

"Yūzuki-san, watch out!" a familiar voice yelled. Yūzuki turned to face Sakura and tried to pinpoint with her Byakugan what she was referring to...

...but too late, she found out that Danzō had reemerged in her blind spot and was about to strike hard with another of his signature ninjutsu.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Blast Barrage!" Danzō shouted. Yūzuki felt the many wind blades formed by his technique cut across her entire body, tearing several large pieces of fabric away from her clothing and inflicting deep wounds across her arms and legs. The sheer force of the wind also sent her tumbling down across the street, until she slammed against a brick wall in a nearby alley.

Feeling the attack had sent her a safe distance away from Danzō, Yūzuki forced herself back to her feet and took stock of her injuries while trying to determine what went wrong. She was breathing heavily, and the power of that last attack had completely blown away her chakra shield. But _how_ had Danzō even been able to attack in the first place? _How_ was he still alive after a direct hit to his brain?

 _'Something is wrong. There is no possible way he could have survived a direct attack like that, especially one enhanced with the power of Hamura.'_ Dark Naruto, sensing Yūzuki's thoughts, materialized in front of her and urged her to pay attention to him, attempting to communicate his knowledge on the war hawk's abilities.

"Not now, Naruto-kun!" Yūzuki snapped at the yūrei. "I need time to think!"

Big mistake. Her yelling gave away her location to Danzō, who swiftly appeared in front of her with a Wind Style: Body Flicker and already had his next attack ready.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets!" Launched at her from point blank range, Yūzuki had no chance to defend against or dodge the attack. Numerous small but deadly air bullets pelted her body. Luckily, Yūzuki was able to reactivate her Hamura Chakra Mode just in time to deflect any lethal damage, which also forced Danzō to jump back, giving her enough breathing room to run up onto a rooftop.

"You fought better than I initially allowed for," Danzō admitted. "To think that you could force me to use the Izanagi, the ultimate kinjutsu of the Uchiha Clan, and twice at that. Mark my words, there will not be any need for a third time." Yūzuki watched with horror as one of the nine open Sharingan in his arm, leaving eight still watching her.

"You monster!" Yūzuki howled, launching another Lion Palm at the Shinobi of Darkness. "Those eyes do not belong to you!"

"I see you have finally decided to take notice of my collection of dōjutsu," Danzō's voice was carried by the wind after dodging Yūzuki's ranged attack with a precise Body Flicker and reappearing several blocks away. "It was a pity that I could not kill Itachi and add his eyes to this collection on that blasted night. Though I suppose I should thank him for his intrusion onto my estate, for he, too played an unknowing role in my ascent to my rightful place as Hokage.

"As for your insinuation about my ownership of these eyes, you are wrong yet again. These eyes and this arm were nobly sacrificed for the greater good of Konoha. As your eyes soon will be. Normally, I would not bother with taking the Byakugan as it is generally an inferior dōjutsu, but your eyes are worthy of making an exception. You are not an ordinary wielder of the Byakugan, Yūzuki. That purple chakra surrounding you, and the uncanny strength of your dōjutsu...there are many secrets in those eyes I would seek to uncover."

"Over my dead body!" Yūzuki screamed. For a few seconds, the war hawk was left speechless, since rather than jump across the rooftops to reach him, she was literally _flying_ directly at him.

 _'What the hell kind of power does this girl have?'_ Danzō thought. _'I must make it my own!'_ Yūzuki arrived too quickly this time for Danzō to completely avoid her attack. His robes were slightly singed from close proximity to her flame shield before his Wind Style: Body Flicker kicked in to put greater distance between them.

Now standing three hundred meters away from Yūzuki, Danzō bit his thumb and went through five hand seals, then slammed his palm on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!" he declared, and two seconds and one large cloud of smoke later, all of the nearby buildings were crushed by the weight of a massive summon animal that towered over its surroundings. The creature Danzō had elected to summon and stand atop was the Baku, an orange tapir with armored tusks.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Blast Barrage!" Danzō again unleashed his strongest Wind technique. This time, Baku used its trunk to suck in and expel large volumes of air, which greatly amplified the power of Danzō's jutsu. Yūzuki only had a tiny fraction of a second to drop back to the ground, anchor herself with her chakra, and attempt a defense.

"Protective Eight Trigrams: One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Palms!" Yūzuki's arms glowed purple as numerous chakra needles were expelled from her palms in rapid succession, waving her arms in a more advanced form of the pattern she'd first taught herself all the way back on the Bikōchū Search Mission she took with Naruto. The rapid-fire expulsion of needles weaved a huge defensive barrier in the shape of a net, meant to repel her foe's devastating attack. The wind storm collided with her barrier and on contact, produced a shock wave that leveled many of the surrounding buildings. A few seconds later, Yūzuki's last defense failed her and the blades broke through, slicing across her entire body and making her scream in pain until finally, the gale force blasted her through the air and she crashed through the walls of Naruto's apartment.

 _'This is not good,'_ a badly bleeding Yūzuki thought to herself as she groaned and struggled to get up. _'With that summon there to protect Danzō, I will be hard-pressed to get back into taijutsu range. All of my techniques are useless now. Except for maybe one...but I haven't completed it yet...'_ Yūzuki turned to face the yūrei Naruto by her side, who was waving his arms around, trying to tell her to run. But she shook her head.

"If I run now, both of our younger selves will die, Naruto-kun, and we will die with them. I cannot allow that to happen."

Dark Naruto wasn't fully convinced of this. He tried to tell her that wouldn't be true, but she refused to listen.

"It's so cold now..." she whispered, feeling the chilling breeze coming from the yūrei. She gave her sad smile and tried to touch his face, knowing full well her hand would just pass through him. Then she stood up and groaned, but fought off the pain. Dark Naruto knew then that Yūzuki was not planning on surviving this fight.

"Don't do this to me, Naruto-kun. I appreciate your protectiveness, but this is something I have to do. I'm the only one here who stands in Danzō's way. I have to stop him, so that our younger selves can live."

Dark Naruto forcibly grabbed Yūzuki's wrist and glared at her, demanding to know why Yūzuki truly had to stand her ground. Surely the rest of Konoha would step up this one time and do what needed to be done? He had long since lost faith in his village, but what else could he do to try to keep Yūzuki alive? Why would she not listen to him? Why was it that now, after traveling across time and space to fight for what her heart desired, she was choosing to give it all up?

"I stand by what I say," Yūzuki whispered. Dark Naruto involuntarily released his grip on her from the emotional impact of her words. "And I will never go back on my word...because that is my nindō!"

And Dark Naruto could only watch and utter a soundless scream at Yūzuki as a flaming orb of chakra formed in her hand and she flew in for one last attack.

x-x

(Flashback)

 _Yūzuki watched from a distance as Naruto continued his training with Team Eight. Since it was the last day before the first stage of the Konoha-Suna Joint Chūnin Exams began, it was one of the uncommon instances where Yūzuki did not have patrol duty or any other missions, which left her schedule free, so her first course of action had been to assist Naruto with his training. Sadly, Kurenai decided that her assistance would not be necessary this morning while Naruto worked on his Shadow Clone training and improving his resistance to genjutsu. Yūzuki had just finished helping Naruto develop the Wind Needle counterpart to her Water Needle taijutsu last night, so she understood why she had been dismissed. It didn't mean she wasn't upset about it. The one technique she'd helped Naruto learn so far was insignificant compared to what he would need to master later, but any new jutsu added to his repertoire would improve his chances of surviving in this timeline. And any chance Yūzuki had to stack the odds in Naruto's favor was a chance worth taking._

 _But no matter how much Naruto thanked her for her help, Yūzuki still felt like she was a burden on him._

 _Yūzuki remembered her ordeals inside the moon, two years after that nightmarish day. The moment when Sasuke had rescued her from the clutches of Toneri was bittersweet, knowing there was still someone who cared enough about her to come to her aid, but also knowing that person could never again be Naruto...and knowing that she did not have the strength to effect her own rescue. The power Sasuke had wielded in his fight against Toneri...how could she have possibly hoped to fight against that kind of power, even if she'd still had the will to try? While Yūzuki knew Naruto still needed to get stronger—it was one of the main reasons she was still here in Konoha—she believed that she had to find a way to surpass Naruto before she finished merging with Hinata. Yūzuki did not want to be powerless anymore to do what was necessary. She wanted to be able to succeed in protecting Naruto this time around._

 _And the only way she knew how to continue in that endeavor was to start doing what Naruto himself was doing now: abusing the memory transfer aspect of the Shadow Clone Jutsu._

 _Memory transfer acted as a force multiplier for those few who possessed enough stamina to utilize clones in their training. Even the most enduring ninja had difficulty producing more than a handful of Shadow Clones, due to the immense strain placed on their chakra networks by the jutsu. Yet Naruto was capable of making as many as one thousand, possibly even more. The skill allowed him to complete years' worth of training in a matter of days. Yūzuki would never be able to learn as fast as Naruto, but with the substantial increase to her chakra reserves which occurred when she received Hamura's chakra on the moon, she figured she could make at least a few clones of her own now._

 _Yūzuki sighed as she formed the modified Ram seal with her hands. The basic Clone Jutsu, while useless in battle, had been exceedingly easy to perform. But this more advanced technique...doubt invaded her mind, as it had done so many times in her younger years._

 _"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Yūzuki shouted, closing her eyes. A few seconds later, she opened them to find two puffs of smoke evaporating, but to her complete embarrassment, the clones that appeared when the smoke vanished were chibi-sized! Both of them blushed and squeaked before dispersing._

 _Yūzuki groaned and rubbed her forehead when she caught the yūrei Naruto silently laughing at her from atop a tree branch. She pouted and squatted down, burying her face in her hands, which only made the yūrei laugh harder._

 _"Well, sorry it's not so easy for me as it was for you, Naruto-kun!" Yūzuki snapped. Dark Naruto stopped laughing and jumped down, shaking his head. Using sign language, he reminded Yūzuki that it had taken him three hours of non-stop attempts after opening the Scroll of Seals before he could produce a viable Shadow Clone. Considering that Yūzuki's control was so much better than his had been back then, he thought she should have been able to get the jutsu down on the first try._

 _"Maybe I tried to use too little chakra?" Yūzuki asked. Dark Naruto shook his head and explained that the issue with chakra expenditure was being able to divide her chakra equally among the clones and still have enough leftover chakra to sustain herself. On her first attempt, Yūzuki had failed to divide her chakra into equal amounts when concentrating on the jutsu. Making one clone would require splitting her available chakra in half. Two would need her to reduce her chakra supply down to a third, and so on._

 _"To think I let my abilities decline that much since you died that day, Naruto-kun..." Yūzuki muttered to herself. The yūrei was correct in thinking she should have performed it correctly on her first attempt. Yūzuki closed her eyes again and focused more intensely on her chakra network, reacquainting herself with the way her energy flowed, then took a deep breath and formed the Ram seal again. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" This time, the jutsu was successfully cast. Yūzuki opened her eyes to see a single, identical copy of herself standing to her right, and squealed in joy over her success._

 _Unfortunately, Yūzuki's clone forgot about the problem with touching her yūrei companion and immediately tried to run and hug him. The clone tripped over herself after passing right through Dark Naruto, headbutted a nearby training dummy and dispelled from the impact. Yūzuki smacked herself in the face, then showed deep pain in her eyes as her hand fell to her side. Seeing her beat herself up over this latest mishap with the clones, Dark Naruto walked up to her and patted her on the head, trying to convey an apology._

 _"This won't be enough," Yūzuki said, sighing deeply. "No matter how many clones I can make, this won't be enough to protect your younger self, Naruto-kun." Still, she formed the Ram seal one more time and attempted to divide her chakra as many times as her body would allow. The third attempt produced nine viable clones. But her success in performing this jutsu had already been soured by her constant pessimism._

 _For his part, the yūrei felt extreme jealousy towards his counterpart, but he felt a more extreme pity for Yūzuki. He wracked his mind in search of a solution for her dilemma, but he realized that his own repertoire of jutsu had actually been very limited. The majority of his techniques were just variations of the Rasengan..._

 _Wait a minute..._

 _Dark Naruto had Yūzuki follow him to a different training ground, one he had used for solo training in the previous timeline. Yūzuki was hesitant about leaving the living Naruto before he completed his genjutsu resistance training for the day, but the yūrei was insistent, so she obliged and dispelled her clones. Once they arrived at the grounds, Dark Naruto walked through the walls of a shack that was set up on the edge and had Yūzuki wait outside while he searched for whatever was inside. A few minutes later, he opened the shack and indicated for Yūzuki to join him inside, and pointed at some rubber balls that were left on a broken shelf._

 _"You want me to learn...that jutsu?" Yūzuki asked the yūrei, who firmly nodded. "I appreciate the thought, Naruto-kun, but even if I am capable of doing this, I do not believe I should," she objected, forcing a smile. The Rasengan was a technique that demanded a very high level of chakra control, and though the Hyūga were all about control, Yūzuki still doubted her ability to successfully learn it. But Dark Naruto was not going to allow her to doubt herself. He stood in front of her with crossed arms, gave her a stern look, and pointed at the rubber balls with his eyes. He was adamant that Yūzuki would not leave the training grounds until she had made satisfactory progress._

 _If Yūzuki had been truly insistent on avoiding this jutsu, there was nothing Dark Naruto could have done in his present form to get her to do the training. But between her belief that she shouldn't learn the Rasengan, and the need to grow stronger in any way she could..._

 _She sighed and relented, picking up one of the balls into her right hand and walking back outside. The yūrei smirked, allowing himself the moment to bask in the feeling of winning the argument. After the moment ended, he explained to Yūzuki through sign language that she was supposed to use her chakra to cause the ball to burst._

 _"No. This isn't right," Yūzuki objected. "Why are you making me skip the first step? Naru-chan told me that the first step was to work on rotating the chakra in my hand. You're trying to make me focus on the volume and density of my chakra when I'm first supposed to spin the chakra in my hand in multiple directions simultaneously. I need to use water balloons, not rubber balls."_

 _Dark Naruto shook his head, which only succeeded in confusing Yūzuki._

 _"But, Naruto-kun..." Yūzuki tried to protest, only for Dark Naruto to tap his forehead, trying to make her think about why he would have her skip the first step of Rasengan training. Still insistent that the first step should be done first, she briefly activated her Byakugan and confirmed that there were no water balloons lying around in the shack or anywhere else nearby. "I guess that means I will need to head back into the village and buy some more training supplies before I get started," she said and moved to leave, but the yūrei put his hands on her shoulders and shook his head again. Now she knew why he was telling her to skip the rotation step._

 _"I am not as good at rotating chakra as you assume me to be, Naruto-kun. My only practice with rotation training is with the Eight Trigrams Palms Rotation, and to this day I still have not managed to successfully perform that technique." All Yūzuki got for her complaining was another stern look, telling her that he believed she was better than this, and demanding to know why she didn't agree. "You are so infuriating, Naruto-kun," she pouted, and received only more sternness from the yūrei. "Fine. Let's do it your way for now, but don't say I didn't tell you so when this fails."_

 _For the rest of that morning, Yūzuki focused all of her energy on making her chakra dense enough to force the ball to burst. After two hours of no results, she had to stop and apply healing ointment to her right hand, then rest for an hour before continuing. But no matter how hard she tried to concentrate the chakra, it just would not obey her wishes._

 _"I can't do it!" Yūzuki screeched. She was about to throw the ball away in frustration when something astonishing happened. Rather than pop like she had been trying to get it to do, the ball was engulfed in flames. Yūzuki and Dark Naruto were both stunned by this development. Somehow, Yūzuki had unconsciously applied her elemental nature to her chakra while she was attempting to compress it. She knew from the original timeline that both Kakashi Hatake and Minato Namikaze had failed to add their elemental natures to the Rasengan, and that Kakashi's failure had led to him creating the Chidori. If she could succeed in adding her Fire chakra to the Rasengan, she would be the only person other than Naruto himself who managed to accomplish this Sisyphean task._

 _With a new flare of determination coursing through her veins, Yūzuki went back inside the shack to retrieve the remaining rubber balls._

(End flashback)

x-x

Yūzuki ended the memory with a sad smile. Every day after that one, she had found some way to practice Naruto's signature jutsu as much as she could. Eventually she had been able to create a Rasengan, though she had the problem of it being smaller than the standard variation. The next step had been to consciously add her Fire element to the spiraling sphere, a task Naruto had described as "needing to look left and right at the same time". Many of her failed attempts ended with her burning her hand and going through vast quantities of her secret ointment. Yūzuki looked at the small, orange-hued orb of energy in her hand and felt the overload start to begin again.

 _'No! I cannot fail this time!'_ Using her free left hand, Yūzuki weaved a one-handed Ram seal to perform the Shadow Clone Jutsu, dividing her chakra to make nine clones. Two of the flying clones stayed at her side to stabilize the flaming orb in her right hand, while three of the other seven flew at Danzō to distract him.

"What madness!" Danzō laughed as he watched Yūzuki fly at him. "You intend to make a direct strike against me while Baku is still on the playing field! It would seem that I actually overestimated you!"

The original Yūzuki shook her head. "You are such a fool and a hypocrite, Danzō. You claim to be protecting the village from those who would do it harm, but the true driving force behind your actions is lust for power. You stole those Sharingan from the Uchiha out of envy, and I would not be surprised if that is a part of the reason you were so insistent on murdering them all while Sandaime-sama tried pursuing a more diplomatic solution. You were always in the shadow of Sandaime-sama, detesting his beliefs as he passed them down to his successors while yours went unrecognized. I actually pity you, Danzō. You will never understand why the people of Konoha reject your ideology as they embrace the Will of Fire. You will never understand that the true power to protect is born of love and the bonds of friendship."

Danzō's face twisted into the ugliest expression Yūzuki could imagine. Somehow, Yūzuki's words struck a deep chord in his cold, blackened heart. "Sentimentality is a fatal weakness! Investing trust in others only sets you up to suffer the pain of their betrayal! Tell me, where are these friends of yours now? Didn't Tsunade-hime decide to arrest and imprison you herself? If _that_ is your definition of friendship, then you can take it to the grave with you, along with your pathetic ideals!"

The three clones Yūzuki sent after Danzō landed on top of Baku to engage him in taijutsu, disrupting him from using any cooperation ninjutsu with his summon. The Shinobi of Darkness drove his Vacuum Blade into one clone's stomach, dispelling her while he dodged the tenketsu strikes from the other two. One of the other clones knocked his Wind-imbued kunai out of his hand, only to be dispelled by a fierce kick to her chest, leaving one clone intact. The third clone activated her Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists and put more pressure on Danzō. This one was much more difficult to handle; Danzō couldn't dodge her attacks and was forced to parry them, losing chakra each time. After a few parries, Baku jerked wildly, causing the clone to lose her balance and allowing Danzō to dispel her.

"Enough of your feeble distractions!" Danzō shouted at the original Yūzuki and the other six clones who flanked and shielded her as they closed in. "Wind Style: Vacuum Blast Barrage!"

Time seemed to slow down for Yūzuki as the wind blades tore through her clones and threatened to do the same to her. She fell into a painful reverie as Danzō's rage was carried through the wind.

 _'Naruto-kun...I was always watching your back and I promised myself I would stop chasing after you and start walking beside you one day. But that day never came and I was forced to watch you die in my arms. I couldn't protect you, not against Pain and not against Zetsu. I couldn't even protect you from the scornful villagers who hated you for no reason. But not anymore. I will end this right here and now and finally be able to face you as an equal, even if it is not in this life. Please let my love for you grant me the strength I need!'_ Her thoughts were directed both at her yūrei Naruto and at his younger self, whom she knew would be devastated by her death. His family had been ripped away from him at birth, but she had given him back a part of that family when she appeared into his life and filled the role of a mother. But now that family would only be ripped away from him again. It hurt Yūzuki beyond measure to know she could not keep her promise to go back to him.

"Now fall!" Danzō yelled. The deadly wind engulfed Yūzuki, but to his astonishment, she kept pressing her aerial charge, pushing through the blades that left her face a bloody mess, until she stood directly in front of him, holding the now-stabilized orange ball of energy in her right hand and thrusting it forward.

 _'Forgive me, Naruto-kun.'_ **"Fire Style: Hellfire Rasengan!"** Yūzuki screamed, pressing the lethal fire orb into Danzō's midsection. The moment the chakra made contact with his torso, Danzō's entire body was set ablaze and he was blasted away, turning into a high-speed projectile. The burning body of Danzō was launched halfway across the village, only stopping when he collided with the stone face of Hiruzen Sarutobi etched into the Hokage Mountain. A bright orange light flashed for a few seconds, and a pillar of fire erupted and then dispersed. When the light faded, Yūzuki saw that the Third's face was destroyed, but there was no trace of Danzō anywhere. Her life energy fading, Yūzuki kept her Byakugan active just long enough to confirm that the Shinobi of Darkness had once again used his stolen power to cheat death.

 _'I failed...I failed to destroy those eyes. All I am, all I have ever been, is a failure...unworthy of...Naruto-kun...'_

And then she collapsed.

x-x

Retreating to his mindscape, Dark Naruto was growling like a feral beast and tearing at everything in sight. What Yūzuki had done by standing her ground, allowing Danzō to bring her to the point of death...

 **"Damn it!"** the darkness howled. **"This isn't supposed to be happening! It's too soon for this to be happening! No, no, no! I'll fucking kill Danzō, believe it!"**

"Hate to break it to ya, but you're just as powerless as I am, y'know," the light half of yūrei Naruto said with a smirk from behind the Kyūbi's former cage. By now, over half of his body had been erased and it looked as if his torso was floating in mid-air while his right arm was still chained to the wall behind him.

 **"Shut up!"** Dark Naruto screamed at his equally dead counterpart. **"How can you possibly find any amusement from this? You're slowly fading from existence, and Hinata is about to die, but you just lounge around back there and laugh?! Shut up and let me think!"**

"You and I both know that none of this would have happened had you not tried to manipulate my past self!" Light Naruto screamed back. "It's _your_ fault Tsunade-bā-chan went after Hinata!"

Before the chained, fading Naruto could blink, his dark side was in front of him, landing a brutal punch to his face.

 **"You fool! What that old hag believes doesn't matter! Everything was under control! Even if Hinata had been interrogated, I only needed one more day to set my plans in motion!"**

"What you need is to start talking," Naruto said sternly, his voice contradicting the confusion in his eyes. "I deserve to know just what the fuck you're planning to do to _my_ Hinata!"

 **"All you deserve is eternal sorrow and loneliness for the idiocy you displayed in your pathetic life back in our timeline. But it won't matter now. If Hinata dies, all my plans will be for nothing!"** Dark Naruto shouted, repeatedly punching his light persona, who just shrugged off all the hits. After a while, he got too frustrated to keep throwing punches and started pacing back and forth, pulling at his hair. **"Damn it, I was so close! One more day and that little brat would've been mine! But now I can't influence him anymore in this state and thanks to the younger Hinata's stubbornness, he's gonna be more resistant to me. Damn it all to hell!"** he shouted with a rage that eclipsed even the Jūbi as he slammed his fist into the sewer wall. He shook violently as he slumped down onto the floor and kept punching at the wall, paying no attention to the damage he was doing to himself. **"So close...so close..."**

While Dark Naruto wallowed in his frustration, the light half was brought to tears as the ethereal monitor reappeared and he saw through it the scene that left the darkness in his sorry state. The gravity of the situation sunk in for him as well. Yūzuki's broken and bloodied body was splayed out on the rooftop, lying motionless as Danzō slowly approached her to deal the finishing blow. Naruto forced himself to look away as his tears wouldn't stop falling.

"This is just like back then...when she stepped in to save me from Pain. Why, Hinata?" he asked the infinitely painful rhetorical question, and the hate he directed at himself only allowed his dark half to gain even more strength.

"This is the one and only thing you'll ever be right about, Yami," Naruto addressed his dark half. "But I've always known...that I don't deserve Hinata."

 **"No,"** Dark Naruto finally said. **"This won't be how it ends."**

"What?" Naruto asked in confusion.

 **"I just told you, I'm not gonna let it end like this, not after coming so far."** Dark Naruto lifted himself up from the ground and slowly approached his light half, who tried to back away.

"Whoa, hold up! What do you think you're doing now?"

Dark Naruto grabbed his light half and pulled him close. **"I didn't wanna try this, not until I had full control over your younger self. But this is the only way to save her, so I've got no choice."**

"What are you talking about?" Naruto's face scrunched up as he glared as his dark persona.

 **"Merge with me,"** Dark Naruto matched his light half's glare with a far stronger one.

The latest demand from his dark half, one Naruto sensed could very well be the last one he would ever hear before fading from existence, left his soul in deep shock. "M-Merge? What are you—"

 **"You can either do this willingly or I can make it happen by force, Naruto. But this** _ **will**_ **happen. I'm the stronger of us, so once our minds have become one, you'll be reduced to nothing more than a memory. The only alternative choice we have is that we cease to exist. There isn't any hidden third choice, not this time."**

"Yeah, right! You think I'd let your mind overpower and suppress mine! Like hell that'll happen!"

 **"It'll happen whether you want it to or not! But you need to consider this..."** Dark Naruto intensified his glare at his light half. For the briefest moment, his cold, red eyes gave off the false illusion of showing true, positive emotion. **"If you ever truly gave a damn about Hinata, you** _ **will**_ **let this happen! You** _ **will**_ **let me save her!"**

"And _you_ need to consider _this,"_ Light Naruto performed his final act of defiance against his dark side. "You might think you're saving Hinata's life now...but if you do this, you will _definitely_ lose her love, and that'll just make her die a much worse death. _Believe it."_

Dark Naruto howled in denial and clasped his light half's head with both hands. Dark energy began flowing around them, feeding off of and further amplifying the negative emotions which ruled over the mindscape. As the energy kept flowing like a raging current, an ethereal screech reverberated in their minds, its sound best compared to the sound of metal scraping against a blackboard.

Ultimately, the energy exploded outward in every direction, and as it did, the light half of Naruto fell unconscious for the last time.

x-x

The Shinobi of Darkness stood triumphant over the fallen Byakugan Princess, whose breathing was labored and vision fading. The final outcome was just as he had expected. Between them, she was the one who lacked understanding, and that was why she was meant to fall.

Still, Danzō could not hide the anger that showed on his face as he marched over to the fallen Yūzuki. She had cost him three Sharingan in this fight and drained a substantial amount of his chakra. Coupled with the losses sustained by his Root Anbu, Danzō could no longer be certain that his coup would still succeed as planned.

"I never imagined it was possible for me to be pushed this far by a spy. You are truly dangerous, girl," Danzō said to Yūzuki as he picked her up by the throat. "I should finish you off right now, but your body and mind contain too many secrets for me to extract. So here's what I'm going to do instead.

"I'm going to keep you alive, but for only one reason. You will be subject to the most vicious experiments my organization can conceive of in the pursuit of knowledge for the betterment of Konoha. It is not every day that a direct descendant of the Rikudō Sennin's brother comes along, after all. Your chakra will be extracted and I will learn how you were able to manifest it, and what abilities you gained from it.

"But the greatest secrets are the ones contained within your eyes, yes?" Danzō pulled out a kunai and pressed it against Yūzuki's left eye. "I must thank Tsunade for protecting you from the Hyūga juinjutsu. Had she not granted you legal immunity to the seal, this unique opportunity would have been denied to me. Your eyes are of a very rare quality, Yūzuki. I have heard of myths surrounding the Byakugan, dating back to the era of the Rikudō Sennin. They speak of a higher form for the Byakugan, the fabled Tenseigan, a dōjutsu which allegedly is on the same power level as the Rinnegan. Rejoice in your sacrifice, for the power your eyes will grant me will allow me to ascend to a level greater than even that which was enjoyed by Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha in their prime!"

Just as Danzō was about to gouge Yūzuki's eye out, he had to drop both her and the kunai and cover his ears to dull the ethereal screaming that suddenly rang through him. Dark energy began to swirl around him violently, and all the stars in the night sky vanished as though they had never been there.

"What is it now?" Danzō yelled through the wind. He forced himself back to Yūzuki, shaking her and yelling in her face, "What did you do?"

Yūzuki was too delirious to answer. She had lost too much blood and was losing her grip on consciousness too fast. But while everything was becoming a blur to her, she noticed that a certain yūrei was nowhere in sight. "Naruto-kun..."

Danzō picked the kunai back up and kept it pointed at Yūzuki's eye, but after this last incident, he was questioning the wisdom of keeping her alive for research purposes. Even if killing her meant giving up the chance to unlock a legendary dōjutsu. "You just don't know how to surrender, girl. Fine then!" He tried to thrust the kunai into her eye and right through her brain, a killing blow; deciding then that he would have to settle for taking only one of her Byakugan. But once more, outside interference stopped his blow from landing.

The dark energy concentrated between them lashed out, knocking both Danzō and Yūzuki backward. Danzō was held down by the force of that energy and could only watch in amazement as it coalesced into a funnel shape. The sheer amount of energy gathered in the vortex defied all comprehension and soon became too much to sustain. A harsh wind exploded from the epicenter of the disturbance, forcing Danzō to brace himself.

When the wind subsided, Danzō opened his eyes and saw that a young blond male, too young to have reached full adulthood, was standing naked in front of him. He only had a few seconds to take in the physical details of this newcomer, but fixated on his large, red fox tail before a dark cloud fell over the boy and reshaped itself into a gold and black cloak with unrecognizable shapes and patterns woven throughout the fabric. The boy lifted the cloak over his head, concealing all of his facial features in darkness, before slowly walking towards the elder, who braced himself to continue his fight.

 **"Danzō Shimura,"** the boy spoke in a commanding tone. The voice was not restricted to being picked up by Danzō's ears; somehow it was also heard telepathically. The shock from that second voice made Danzō stumble for a moment.

"It was unwise of you to interfere. Now I shall terminate you as well," the Shinobi of Darkness proclaimed. "Wind Style: Vacuum Blade!" Wind chakra enveloped Danzō's kunai and he slashed at the demonic boy. But the attack, which should have cleaved his torso in two, just passed through him as though he wasn't even there. It did not harm him, nor slow his advance in the slightest.

 **"You arrogantly speak of your twisted version of justice, proclaim a desire for peace, yet constantly incite wars and senseless slaughter. You don't know the true meaning of justice and peace. But don't worry, I'll make sure to reeducate you before sending you to the afterlife."**

"You have already demonstrated that you are a threat to Konoha. There is only one just response." Danzō walked backwards and focused chakra into his right eye, attempting to ensnare this threat with the Kotoamatsukami. The boy apparently had a technique which made him impervious to ninjutsu, but ever since Danzō acquired Shisui's eye he had yet to encounter a foe that could not be subdued by that eye's genjutsu, so he was still confident of victory.

But in the next moment, instead of being able to activate that trump card as he should have been able to, the worst possible thing that could have happened to him, happened.

The Hashirama cells grafted onto his transplanted right arm reacted violently to being in close proximity to the boy's chakra. Danzō gripped that arm tightly with his left arm and his face scrunched up in excruciating pain as the Wood Style kekkei genkai activated against his will. A large tree rapidly grew atop an adjacent building, eating away at Danzō's chakra and at his own body. No longer able to control the artificially acquired bloodline, Danzō was forced to sever his right arm before the tree engulfed him.

"What have you done, demon brat?" Danzō demanded to know. With his strongest techniques lost to him, his composure was breaking down as he tried to banish the fear invading his mind.

 **"I am serving true justice. You have been found guilty of high crimes against both natural and celestial law, and most importantly, you assaulted and attempted to murder the soon-to-be ruler of this world. For your offenses against Yūzuki, I hereby sentence you to death."**

"If I must die here, then let my final act be used to assist Konoha in its darkest hour." Danzō's face hardened as he fully removed the robes covering his upper body to reveal the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing, a high-level fūinjutsu that was programmed to activate upon his death. He tried to use a sealless Body Flicker and rush past his final opponent in a suicide run, attempting to take both this demon and Yūzuki down with him, but was stopped cold by a pressure on his throat. The demon lifted him up into the air, and the only thing Danzō could see in the perfect darkness was a pair of red eyes.

 **"Your death will only serve one purpose, Danzō. It will greatly please the precious goddess whom I serve."** The demon boy tightened his grip on Danzō's throat, crushing his esophagus.

 _'Goddess? Servitude? What is he ranting about?'_ Danzō tried to force his muscles to move and his eyes to see. As his life force rapidly faded away, he caught just a brief glimpse of the Hyūga impostor who this demon claimed to be his goddess, and she was looking at him with confusion. But her facial expression was irrelevant to him. The most important thing, the most defining failure weighing down on his dying mind, was that she had escaped death and would continue to threaten Konoha.

 _'Even in my final moments, I was powerless to serve my village. Hiruzen...where did I go wrong?'_ was Danzō's final thought as the demon's chakra invaded and poisoned his body, turning it to stone. A second later, cracks rapidly expanded through the petrified corpse and caused it to explode, sending its fragments scattering outward in every direction.

The brief but terrible reign of the Shinobi of Darkness was over.

But the death of one tyrant would only pave the road for the rise of another.

x-x

Dark Naruto smiled evilly as the stone fragments of what was once Danzō Shimura littered the ground, while the petrified head fell in front of him. The demon allowed himself a few seconds to savor the expression on Danzō's stone face, a very satisfying mixture of every negative emotion he wanted the war hawk to feel in his moment of death.

 **"Does his death make you feel any better, Yūzuki?"** Dark Naruto asked himself as he turned around to face her. He slowly approached the badly wounded Yūzuki and squatted down next to her, his prior satisfaction gone and replaced with concern for his goddess' well-being.

"Na-Naruto-kun?" Yūzuki stammered. "Is...is it really you?"

 **"Shhh. It isn't time to wake yet, my sweet. Rest now."** Yūzuki saw his hand reach for her face and she was too stunned and had lost too much energy to move away. She felt her eyelids grow heavy and lost consciousness. Dark Naruto smiled at her sleeping form and brushed away a few locks of her midnight blue hair. But now was not the time to be fussing over her. **"Shadow Clone Jutsu,"** he whispered, summoning three clones. **"You know what to do,"** he told the clones as they went out towards the festival grounds and Hokage Tower, while he carefully lifted Yūzuki into a bridal carry. She was in immediate need of medical aid, and he did not trust Tsunade to heal her. Tsunade's last surviving apprentice, on the other hand...

He was about to leave and wait for his clones to retrieve their targets when he felt tiny vibrations in the ground and heard the sound of approaching footsteps. He sighed deeply, knowing he was about to be surrounded by bad company. And here, he had originally decided to show mercy and spare Konoha from destruction while he left with Yūzuki to tend to her injuries. But now it seemed he would have to give his former comrades a demonstration of his newly gained power.

"You there!" a familiar and very unwelcome voice yelled. Dark Naruto turned to face the voice and found a fully recovered Tsunade marching towards him, with her Yin Seal released for the Mitotic Regeneration, and flanked on both sides by several dozen _official_ Anbu.

 **"Yes?"** Dark Naruto sneered. Tsunade ignored him for a moment and walked past him, having spotted Danzō's petrified head. Immediately, she shivered at the expression on the traitor's face, though she did her best to suppress it and keep her calm.

"While I appreciate you putting an end to that traitor, I cannot allow you to leave. You are to release Yūzuki into my custody and turn yourself in for questioning right now."

A long and uneasy silence settled over the area as Dark Naruto gave off the illusion of contemplating Tsunade's orders. When he decided that indecision wouldn't be enough to unsettle them, he burst into laughter. **"Hahaha! Oh, that's pure comedy gold right there! And just are you gonna do if I refuse, you old hag?"** he snarled at the Slug Princess.

Tsunade gained a very prominent 'tick mark' from the veins that were bulging out from her forehead. Whoever or whatever this person was, he was way too much like Naruto in that he had the innate ability to push all of her buttons at once. "You won't refuse if you know what's good for you. Every ninja in Konoha is authorized to use lethal force against both you and Yūzuki if necessary, and I count at least six dozen at my side all fixated on you, whoever you are."

Dark Naruto's voice became much more serious as he made his will known both verbally and telepathically. **"Foolish mortals. It is meaningless to play the numbers game here. You could raise up entire armies against me and it wouldn't matter a damn. I have transcended this failed world and am no longer subject to the brittle laws of man."** He then raised his right arm, discharging massive amounts of chakra into the air to generate a super-cell cloud.

"Don't let him do anything! All forces attack now!" Tsunade ordered. The Anbu tried issuing their attacks, but none of them were able to make any advancements on the demon boy before they were lifted into the air, rendered completely helpless.

 **"Begone! Wind Style: Demon Storm!"** Dark Naruto brought his arm down and with it, released a tremendous amount of energy from above. The wind force produced by his evil chakra coalesced into a massive tornado touching down right on top of them, ripping apart all of the nearby buildings and sucking the Anbu into a spiral of death. Tsunade could not keep herself anchored to the ground either, and as she was lifted into the air, the wind tore at her like tiny swords. Only Dark Naruto and Yūzuki were left unharmed by the superstorm.

"Dear God..." Tsunade whispered, her voice drowned out by the howling wind. Many smaller tornadoes were spawning all across Konoha, leaving a trail of destruction in their path. The super-cell also released hundreds of lightning bolts _per second,_ blasting apart any structure the wind didn't tear to shreds and causing fires to break out everywhere. As the terrified screams of the villagers rang through the wind and Tsunade was launched out of the main vortex, she could only think of one accurate description for this scene and the feeling of dread it instilled in her.

She was in hell.

x-x

 **Editor's Note: For those of you who are asking how the hell Yūzuki can fly and use shadow clones, both of those are only possible because she has Hamura's chakra. Towards the end of** _ **The Last: Naruto the Movie,**_ **when Toneri uses Puppet Rebirth and Naruto's chakra is rapidly drained, Hinata is able to use her Hamura chakra to both replenish Naruto's coils and make him immune to the chakra drain. This suggests that a significant, potentially massive increase in Hinata's chakra reserves occurred when Hamura gave her his chakra. As for the Flight Technique, at the very end when Naruto and Hinata perform the full moon silhouette during their first kiss, Hinata is floating after Naruto launches them into the air with his Rasengan. She should have started falling right away while Naruto wasn't holding onto her. The fact she didn't suggests that Hamura's chakra also granted her the ability to fly.**

 **For those of you who are disappointed that Yūzuki didn't also unlock the Tenseigan in this fight - well, that would have made it impossible for her to lose the fight, an outcome which was required for the cliffhanger at the end of this chapter, yes?**

 **We also recognize that Danzō's use of Izanagi in this chapter did not stay true to his abuse of it in canon. TBH, we feel that keeping it active constantly while he had sufficient chakra to sustain the technique, instead of using it as the last resort it was originally intended to be was pretty stupid.**

 **Review responses:**

 **devilzxknight86: It is canon that specific measures were taken by the leaders of each village that possessed a jinchūriki to ensure the jinchūriki remains loyal to that village. One such example is the tradition of choosing a jinchūriki from among the relatives of a Kage to reduce the chance of the jinchūriki betraying their village. Konoha is not an exception to this rule. It must be noted, however, that these measures did not stop Utakata from going rogue.**

 **book lover reader: Yūzuki and Hinata's decisions to scold Naruto for hitting Sakura were justified. Both of them recognized that Naruto's actions while under Dark Naruto's influence were extremely OOC, to the point that they jeopardized Naruto's relationship with Hinata. You also clearly missed the parts where Yūzuki stated that she does not condone Sakura's behavior and bitched at Tsunade about her refusal to do anything about it.**

 **Flameraven: You pretty much nailed the points the above user missed. And yes, when you think of it that way, SasuSaku does make a bit more sense, although SasuKarin babies would have been considered genetically superior to Sarada simply because Karin is an Uzumaki.**

 **FlameDragon14: All I can say about Dark Naruto right now is that he is, quite ironically, making the same mistake many of his enemies did in his previous life: he is underestimating his younger self, along with Hinata. He is attempting to convert them both to his way of thinking, but his methods are backfiring on him.**

A/N: And so Naruto knows the truth now but what is this new manifestation of Dark Naruto and how powerful has he become? What is his goal for Yuzuki? (Some of you might have been able to piece the information together for which I applaud you but for those that have not Ill keep my lips shut.) Alas the deaths of Inochi and Shizune touched us all but they were a necessary sacrifice for the sake of the plot. And if any of you know me well enough from previous writings you can bet they won't be the only ones that will not escape this fate. We actually had a little trouble with this chapter determining how powerful Dark Naruto should be. Without Kurama and the tailed beast enhancements he got in canon he would have been reduced to sage mode with his various rasengans. This demon enhancement should level the playing field a little bit and we were able to come to even ground on his abilities thankfully. Speaking of Rasangan, I know some of you will either praise me or critic me for giving Yuzuki her own version of the ability, however I thought it would add more to the dramatic flair and quite honestly it was just something I wanted to write.

On a side note I must say thank you to my editor for addressing reviews. I would do it myself but he explains things better then I would and it's difficult for me to address some issues while staying focused on writing and college.

Please review and let me know what you thought of the chapter good or bad!


	15. Chapter 15

**Editor's Note/Review Replies: Normally, this sort of thing would be kept placed at the end of the chapter; however, I believe that this time, certain reviews require an exception be made.**

 **book lover reader / Arthur Sontill:** **Danzō is a Kage** **level** **shinobi and was recognized as one of the strongest shinobi in Konoha. Even with the power up she received from Hamura, Yuzuki is only jōnin** **level** **at best and would have required the Tenseigan to kill Danzō, which she can't awaken on her own. (But even then, Danzō has an auto-win button with Kotoamatsukami, provided Yuzuki doesn't lead off with an instant kill chakra drain move...)**

 **1) Let's go back to Sasuke vs. Danzō in canon. Sasuke in the Five Kage Summit arc is far stronger than Hinata ever was in all of canon, and he had backup from Obito and Karin. But it is important to note that while Danzō held his own for most of the fight, he actually held back from using his full power against Sasuke because Obito was there. If Danzō had been allowed to fight without restraints, he would have killed Sasuke. It is my stance that the only reason Danzō lost was because the plot required him to lose.**

 **2) Yuzuki stopped training for the entire four years the original timeline lasted after Naruto's death (and was discharged from Konoha's military post-Fourth Shinobi World War for mental health reasons), and only had two and a half months in the altered timeline to build herself back up before the fight.**

 **3) Knowing that Yuzuki is a taijutsu specialist and experiencing the damage her chakra mode could do in that fight, Danzō would have made sure to keep his distance from Yuzuki as much as possible, denying her the chance for close-quarters combat until she was physically weakened and unable to manifest her chakra mode, and used Izanagi when he couldn't.**

 **Maybe Danzō should have lost a few more Sharingan than he did, but the point is, Danzō wins that fight, and that will not be changed.**

 **Flameraven / Ryuujin96: Both of you appear to have misread that scene. It was not Past!Naruto that lost control (although Past!Naruto is going to be suffering from some serious mental problems after losing Shizune and Yuzuki and nearly losing Hinata); Future!Naruto transformed into a yōkai. This event was foreshadowed several chapters ago. So no, Past!Naruto is not going to be banished or receive a death sentence for the actions of his future self.**

 **Flameraven (continued): Karin could have just as easily moved to Konoha. No, she doesn't originate from Konoha but then again, neither do Temari or Karui. Also, Kakashi's problem wasn't chakra control, so much as it was stamina (a problem many Uchiha have), so a SasuKarin union would have been superior to SasuSaku for the headcanon you posted. It's still an interesting headcanon.**

 **Yes, it was the Tsukuyomi that drove Danzō insane, as Inoichi pointed out just before Danzō murdered him.**

 **Yes, Hinata is going to be hit very hard by what transpired.**

 **As for the absence of Lightning jutsu in Yuzuki vs. Danzō, that's something that totally slipped our minds when writing and revising the scene. All we can really say is to point out that ninjutsu and elemental techniques were not something Hinata/Yuzuki ever used in canon, not counting the times she performed cooperation techniques with Naruto (and the only element she used in filler was Water and only in the Bikōchū arc). Also, the author felt that a heavy focus on Fire fit Yuzuki better in the fight.**

 **Naruhina4890: As instructed by the author, I'm going to say what Naruto would say: the accidental kiss with Sasuke doesn't count. lol**

x-x

 **Chapter 15: Winds of Destruction**

Dark Naruto walked slowly through the streets of Konoha, holding the unconscious Yuzuki in his arms. Most of his attention was directed towards his clones, or more specifically, waiting on them to return with their targets. The rest was fixed on his precious goddess, for whom he could not help but feel concern. She was still greatly weakened from her ordeal against Danzō, but there was almost nothing he could do about that until his clones had secured their objectives. So he just kept walking, unknowing of how else to bide his time.

Occasionally he would see groups of villagers rushing past him, running towards Konoha's underground shelters. They would give him looks of fear or hate as they ran past him, but he did not care. They were paying the price for their lack of empathy and their failure to act as a proper community. As the rest of the world soon would, if they refused to accept his new world order.

Correction, _Yuzuki's_ new world order. He was merely the consort of his queen, the enforcer of his goddess' will.

That all-important fact made complications arise. Dark Naruto had every intention to make Yuzuki recognized as the goddess she deserved to be and already was to him. However, he knew that despite her years as a kunoichi, she was still too soft and caring to willingly cause harm to anyone unless provoked. She failed to understand the people of this world did not respond appropriately to kindness like hers. He had absolutely no issue with her being a benevolent ruler, if that was what she chose—the problem would be getting her to step up and make the world submit to her rule.

But how would he go about convincing her to ascend to her rightful throne? Dark Naruto knew full well that she would react...poorly, to put it gently, when she learned that he was responsible for tearing Konoha from its foundations. No, that was too severe an understatement to make. He knew deep down that Yuzuki would suffer a complete meltdown due to his actions, and he would be hard-pressed to contain it.

"Your hesitation does not surprise me," a gravely voice said. "For you are at your core, a creature ruled by regrets."

 **"You certainly took your sweet time recovering your chakra, old man,"** Dark Naruto snarled at Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, who for once was not levitating, but was leaning against the wall of a destroyed building, crossing his arms. The Rikudō Sennin returned it with a look of total indifference.

"What did you do with your true self?"

 _ **"I**_ **am the true persona of this** **higher** **form, Rikudō-ojii-sama. The other guy, well he's still in here, but he's gonna have some problems trying to ever speak again, y'know? He was so weak. He's nothing more than a bad memory of worse times, and he's gonna stay that way from now on."**

"Already you sound so certain. But let's revisit my earlier observation. You are fundamentally a creature of regret. It is only natural that you would have regrets about this," the Sage pressed, narrowing his eyes and forcing Dark Naruto to look at the massive funnel in the center of Konoha.

 **"Why should I? This cursed village deserves far worse punishment for its sins than I'm inflicting. Not only that, I'm actually trying to restrain myself from killing everyone I lay eyes upon, so they should count themselves fortunate."**

"And I am supposed to be impressed by this restraint?" Hagoromo waved his shakujō at Dark Naruto. "We both know it is not Yuzuki who holds you back. If she had any real influence over you, you would not have brought this storm down upon your home."

 **"Liar!"** Dark Naruto shouted, and as he did, several more tornadoes touched down around them. **"If it wasn't for Yuzuki, I wouldn't bother giving anyone else a chance to change! She's the only reason this world hasn't already burned to ashes!"**

Hagoromo thrusted his shakujō into Dark Naruto's face and gave him a stern look. "Obviously, you have learned nothing from Sasuke's mistakes in the original timeline."

 **"You dare compare me to that Uchiha filth? All Sasuke-chan is and ever will be is a whiny brat ruled by his obsession with Itachi, unable to see the deeper reason behind the tragedy of his life. Sasuke lacks understanding. He lacks purpose. That is the difference between us, the reason why he will fail and I will succeed. I have found purpose."**

"Yuzuki will not take kindly to this purpose of which you speak."

 **"It won't matter after I am finished. One way or another, she will be the supreme ruler of this world and I will be at her side for all eternity."**

"So you plan on using the ancient Melebihi ritual, then? And what's to be your power source? Certainly you don't intend to sacrifice millions of lives like the rite requires?"

 **"Nope."** Dark Naruto smiled evilly. **"You made sure of that. Why sacrifice millions when all the needed power can be found in just nine?"** Hagoromo's face briefly twisted in anger. This corruption of his younger son's transmigration, this yōkai was planning to use the bijū—use _his_ creations—to forever ruin the balance whose maintenance was the only reason he continued to exist in this realm?

"You are making many deadly assumptions," the Sage spoke with the thinnest veil draped over his anger. "First of which, is that I will just stand by and allow this to happen."

 **"That's not an assumption, but a statement of fact. I've had a lot of time to think about how and why you made your past appearances. You didn't do any of the fighting against Kaguya, you only gave me power for the fight. Then you didn't show up again until four years after I died, to bring Yuzuki back in time. It's pretty damn clear that you're not allowed to interfere except under special conditions, and even then you're still restricted in what you can do. What you said to Yuzuki really is true: while you may be transcended, you are anything but omnipotent. Besides..."** Dark Naruto paused for a moment, for no particular reason. **"You know full well that if you interfere this time, I have the power to fight back against you."**

"Fighting against me, or those I choose to support, is the ultimate folly. This scenario has played out many times over the years, and it always ends with the same result. All you will accomplish by walking down this path is your final demise."

Dark Naruto bellowed a hollow laugh. **"Oh really? And how will that happen? I can't be killed, and good luck trying to seal me; you remember how well that worked with Madara."**

"Nothing is truly indestructible. Do you even know what happens when an earthbound spirit is destroyed? There is no chance to cross over to the Pure World, nor to return to life in this world. All that is left is an endless abyss of lost memories, with only the smallest fragments of consciousness remaining. Or to put it simply, oblivion. Do you really believe yourself so untouchable that you can escape this fate?"

 **"Obviously you didn't hear my speech to Neji all those years ago. So I'll summarize it for ya. Fate can kiss my ass."**

"How colorful." Hagoromo sighed. "You will fail. There is no fundamental difference between you and the other would-be tyrants of the past timeline. Like my mother, and like Madara, Obito and Sasuke, you will fail. When the moment of your failure comes, reflect upon the truth that I tried to save you from yourself."

Dark Naruto snarled again at the Sage. **"I don't need saving anymore. Yuzuki has already saved me, just as she will bring salvation for the rest of the world. Now serve your purpose for being here, old man. Give me what you owe me."**

"So be it. This will change nothing in the long run." Hagoromo held out his shakujō for Dark Naruto to grasp as he vanished from sight. As the yōkai took the prayer staff into his hand, he felt a familiar sensation and smiled wickedly as parts of his hair grew longer to resemble a pair of horns.

He had regained the Six Paths chakra.

x-x

Hinata's eyes suddenly shot open from the sound of a fierce explosion nearby. She shivered under the jacket Yuzuki left behind for her as she looked around. Everything was a blur to her. The black sky was ablaze with lightning and fire, the wind was howling violently, and she barely heard the screams of the civilian villagers as they desperately tried to navigate their way towards the underground shelters. Hinata wondered what had happened that could set the entire village into such panic...

...until her vision cleared enough to catch sight of several tornadoes ripping through the center of the village.

Hinata tried to force herself to get up, but only managed to achieve a sitting position, wincing at the pain wracking her body. The worst of the pain was localized on the left side of her face. She pressed her hand against her closed left eyelid, and wiped off some of the dried blood that had caked around the slash wound there. The memory of Danzō mutilating her to torture Naruto flashed before her, and she was about to scream, when—

"Don't move, Hinata," a voice said. Hinata gasped and looked to her left to find Sakura hovering over her, hands glowing blue as she attempted to heal Hinata in spite of her own injuries.

"Sakura...san...?" Hinata asked.

"Thank goodness Danzō didn't slash deep enough to hit your eye. You've still lost a lot of blood, so I need you to stay still and lean back, okay?" Sakura instructed. It was only then that Hinata noticed that she was leaning back against something that was both soft and firm at the same time. Hinata turned her head slightly to see that it was...

"Naruto-kun?"

Naruto didn't verbally respond. His attention was fixated on the center of the village, where the bulk of the devastation was concentrated. He looked like he could go into shock at any second from what he was watching. All he could do, all he knew how to do at that moment was pull Hinata closer to him, fearing that something truly terrible would happen if he should let go.

"And don't think you're off the hook just because you and Hinata made up," Sakura told Naruto, who still didn't answer, much to her growing frustration. "Naruto, are you even listening?" Again, no response. The veins in Sakura's forehead started bulging as she continued, "Naruto, I swear, if you don't start—"

"Kā-chan..." Naruto whispered. Sakura's eyes widened a tiny fraction, while Hinata grew more somber and softly nudged Naruto, coaxing him into holding her tighter.

 _'Naruto-kun really thinks of Yuzuki-san as his mother...'_ Hinata thought.

 _'Damn it, Naruto!'_ Sakura internally cursed her teammate. _'What is it going to take for us to be honest with each other? And since when have you been THAT close to Hinata? Once we get you to safety, I'm going to make sure you come clean with me! Shānnarō!'_

"We need to get to an underground shelter fast," Sakura said after a brief, tense silence. "If we stay on the surface, one of those tornadoes is going to fling us off to who knows where." She tried to make Naruto let go of Hinata and get up, but he just tightened his grip even more.

"I'm not going anywhere," Naruto said firmly.

"Na-ru-to..." Sakura growled out in a threatening tone. Was Naruto really stupid enough to deliberately stay above ground and put both himself and others in danger? Did she have to slam a fist into his skull for the umpteenth time to make him see reason?

"Yuzuki-kā-chan said she'd come back!" Naruto snapped; he'd been teetering on the edge for a while, but now it was clear that he was losing it. "She promised she'd come back! And I'm not leaving here until she comes back and takes me home!"

Against her better judgment, Sakura was _still_ trying to rein in her anger and not do the easier thing for her to do. "Naruto, listen, I know this is a lot to take in right now but—"

"Do you, Sakura?! Do you have any idea what this is doing to me? Even after we graduated from the Academy and were assigned to Team Seven, I was all alone. I started thinking of you, Sasuke, and Kakashi-sensei as my family, but I didn't know what a real family was supposed to be like until Yuzuki-kā-chan found me! She's all I have! She has to come back! She has to...she has to..." His voice broke off as he started crying.

Sakura didn't know how to respond at first. There was no one else in Konoha who could possibly understand what it was like to be truly alone in the world. No one else had been forced to grow up without anyone else there to nurture him. But in his current mental state, Naruto was forgetting that Yuzuki wasn't the only important person in his life right now. He just needed a reminder.

"Naruto...Yuzuki-san isn't _all_ you have," Sakura corrected him. "You still have Hinata. But she's badly hurt and she needs to get to safety, and you're not in the best shape either."

"But—"

"Look at her, Naruto!"

Naruto flinched for a moment before doing as Sakura commanded. Hinata was curling up into a ball and shivering in his arms, desperate to find warmth and comfort from him. Her scarred face showed that she was in great pain, and most of it wasn't physical.

"Naruto...kun..."

"Dammit," Naruto swore, feeling himself being torn apart inside by her plea. How had he allowed himself to neglect Hinata just because Yuzuki had left? He wouldn't be able to forgive himself for this, even if they forgave him.

"Alright, Sakura-chan," Naruto finally said, struggling to stand while carefully carrying Hinata in his arms. "Lead the way."

"The hospital has emergency rooms in its basement levels. It's only a few blocks away, but the main streets are littered with too much debris and it's too risky to take to the rooftops. We need to hurry," Sakura said urgently. Naruto nodded and followed her as she jumped out the broken window and set off towards the alleyways, which miraculously were still mostly clear of debris and terrified civilians trying to run for shelter. The next few minutes seemed like hours as they had to navigate the treacherous alleys while dodging any debris that was flung at them.

When the hospital finally came into view, Sakura allowed herself a small smile, since her two best friends were now going to make it out of this. For a brief moment, everything seemed like it would be okay, at least in time.

That moment ended violently when several lightning bolts struck the building she was next to, causing the structure to catch fire and fall down. Sakura jumped out of the way, but Naruto and Hinata were not lucky enough to make it past the burning rubble and they were now separated from her. Sakura tried to move over the rubble to get to them, but her eyes widened in horror as a new tornado touched down just a few meters behind her friends. She had no choice but to abandon them and get to the basement levels of the hospital while there was still a chance for her to escape, struggling every step of the way to keep herself anchored to the ground.

Naruto tried calling out to Sakura, but the wind was already cutting off his voice. Then things went from worse to...well, the best way Naruto would have described it is if he had been cursed with Tsunade-bā-chan's infamous bad luck, because right as was getting sucked into the vortex that had just appeared behind him, yet another tornado formed directly in front of him, ripping Hinata out of his arms.

"Hinata!" Naruto called out, trying desperately to reach out for her, only to be hit hard with debris and lose consciousness before being flung away.

x-x

Amazingly, Hinata did not lose consciousness when she was thrown away from the vortices and fell to the ground several hundred meters away from the hospital. She was able to soften her landing somewhat with her chakra, but was still hurting worse now than she had when she came to after her first injuries. Some of her cuts, including the one over her left eyelid had reopened during the time she spent being tossed around in midair and battered by the lethal wind, and worse, she found that she was currently unable to activate her Byakugan.

Yet despite all of that, there was no choice but to press on as best she could.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata called out, but could not hear her own voice as the wind drowned it out. She tried walking forward, but was knocked down the moment she attempted to stand and had to grab hold of a pipe which was connected to one of the few buildings which still stood. Once she had a firm grip, Hinata anchored herself to the ground with what little chakra she could still use and moved forward slowly. Even in this section of Konoha, the scene was a disaster. Most of the buildings had either been torn off their foundations or exploded from consecutive lightning strikes. Everywhere she could see, the ground was littered with burning debris and the corpses of hundreds of civilians who couldn't make it to safety. And all she could hear was the screeching wind and the rumbles of thunder from above.

 _'Why...why did this have to happen?'_ Hinata asked herself, her resolve quickly crumbling away. _'Everything was perfect before all of this happened. Naruto-kun and I were finally on a proper date. Naruto-kun said he loved me and asked me to be his girlfriend. He gave me everything I could ever ask for. So why? Why did Danzō have to ruin everything? Why all this death and destruction? Did I do something wrong?'_ The emotional overload was too strong and Hinata fell to her knees in a fit of tears, the wetness causing her cheeks to sting as the tears rolled down her scars.

 _'All I ever wanted was for Naruto-kun to be happy, and to be the one who would make Naruto-kun happy. Was that too much to ask?'_

It was at that point that she felt an ominous presence approach. Hinata looked up to see a figure in a gold and black cloak approach her. Curiosity got the best of her for a single moment as she tried to approach, only to be snapped out of it by the late night chill. Hinata tried to pull Yuzuki's jacket over her...

And it was only then Hinata realized that she had lost the jacket when she got separated from Naruto, leaving her in a state of near-total undress. Were it not for the blood-stained white pantyhose she still wore, she would be completely exposed.

 _'Is this how it ends?'_ Hinata asked herself as the figure, shrouded in darkness, approached her and she backed herself into a wall, not even bothering to use her arms to cover herself. _'Beaten, bloody and naked_ _as I am_ _enveloped_ _in_ _this demonic presence, right after Naruto-kun and I...'_

But then something happened that ran contrary to her fears. She expected unimaginable pain; she expected to be raped before meeting a violent death. Instead, she felt a gentle touch from the presence, a touch that was almost soothing; like he was trying to heal her rather than hurt her. Hinata flinched from the touch at first, but then felt a renewed strength course through her chakra network. Hinata opened her eyes to see that the presence was lowering the arm that had reached out to touch her. She then saw that the presence had also found Yuzuki's jacket and was now offering to give it back to her.

"Um...thank you," Hinata whispered. The presence did not give a verbal reply, but gave Hinata the courtesy of turning around so she could put the jacket on without being watched. Once she was wearing the jacket, Hinata saw a large fox tail extend towards her. She allowed it to do so, and felt it tickle her as it dabbed at her face, drying away her tears.

Hinata observed that the presence seemed to exude curiosity in his body language as he observed her. She couldn't help but wonder why this was. Everything about the presence just seemed...off, for lack of a better word.

"You...you won't hurt me?" she asked hesitantly. The presence shook his head. "Who are—"

"Help!" a feminine voice yelled. "Someone please help! My daughter, she's still in that building!" Hinata turned to face the source of the voice. Feeling new strength from the presence's prior actions, she managed to activate her Byakugan and scanned her surroundings, confirming that there was a young girl trapped inside a nearby burning building.

"You have to help them!" Hinata yelled at the presence. He just stayed there for a moment, as though trying to decide if that was what she truly wanted. "What are you waiting for? Please help them!" Astonishingly, the presence obeyed her second plea and vanished in a dark flash. A few seconds later, he re-materialized in front of her and the civilian woman, holding said woman's daughter under his right arm. The presence lowered the girl to the ground and she ran off towards her mother, but rather than express any gratitude, the two only looked at him in fear before they disappeared into the alleys in search of an underground shelter. Hinata was shocked at first, but quickly remembered how the aura of this presence felt when he first came into contact with her and could not blame them for their reaction.

"Thank you for helping them," she decided to show the gratitude the civilians would not. "But...um...who are you, really?"

The figure knelt down in response, leaning his head forward. It seemed to be indicating to Hinata that it wanted her to lift up his hood. Hinata couldn't tell if the presence was choosing not to speak, or was unable. She shook as she reached for it and slowly started to pull it down. But before she could reveal the presence's face, there was a violent interruption.

"Lightning Blade!"

Hinata was quickly scooped into the presence's arms as it jumped out of the way of Kakashi's deadliest attack. She felt its anger spike tremendously as it turned to face the elite jōnin.

 **"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"** the presence finally yelled, speaking with his mind instead of vocal cords. Hinata saw several flashes of gold and heard sounds of clashing metal. When the noise stopped, she saw Kakashi bound by dozens of golden chains wrapped around his neck, torso, and all four limbs. The chains all appeared to originate from the presence's back.

"Stop! Let him go!" Hinata yelled. Her voice carried no weight with the presence at first, at the chains instead tightened their grip around Kakashi, threatening to rip him apart and crush all the pieces.

 _'Why is this demon so angry?'_ she wondered as she tried to gauge the presence's feelings. It was strange, how she seemed to feel what he felt as though his emotions were actually hers. _'Is it because_ _he_ _believes I could have been hurt?'_ "I said LET HIM GO!" she yelled again. This time, the chains retracted and Kakashi dropped to his knees, gasping for air. "Now put me down," she told the presence, who was giving her an accusatory look, demanding to know why she wanted Kakashi to be released. But rather than press his demand, he again complied with hers, which left Hinata amazed by his swift obedience.

"You there!" Kakashi rasped out, focusing his Sharingan on the presence. "You have a lot to answer for. Step away from my comrade and show me your face, and then perhaps we can try to work out a peaceful solution to this problem you created." And it was only then that the presence spoke, and when it did, its voice was cold as ice.

 **"Peaceful, you say?"** the presence sneered. **"That's rather hypocritical, coming from you, of all people. Cold-blooded, friend-killer Kakashi. Was it not you who tried to strike the first blow?"**

"You're holding one of my comrades hostage. You should have expected me to strike at the first opportunity. And from the looks of it, I'd wager a guess that you're the one who's responsible for this extreme weather tonight."

 **"Ah, yes, that."** The presence did not even try to deny the accusation. **"Don't you ever notice how calm the weather always is here? I hate the tranquility. I thought the forecast called for a bit of a change."** This blatant, arrogant confession to his misdeeds made Hinata gasp. This presence, the one that saved her and was so courteous, even obedient towards her, was the one that had caused this severe weather in the first place?

"Just what is it that you want? Why are you attacking Konoha?" Kakashi demanded.

 **"Hmm...that's a tough one to answer,"** the presence appeared to contemplate its foe's questions. **"Bah! I don't need a reason! I can, so I did."** The way he said that was so nonchalant, yet so sinister. Just hearing his voice made Hinata's damaged hair stand on end. Why, again, was he protecting her?

"I see that talking with you is useless," the Copy Ninja finally observed and channeled a spark into his right hand, but rather than reform his signature Lightning Blade assassination jutsu, he opted for the weaker Chidori to conserve some of his chakra.

 **"Glad to hear it. But before we continue our little game, there's something I gotta do real quick."** The presence turned back towards Hinata, who was left crippled by her surprise when she felt him wrap her in his arms, drawing her into a hug. **"I'll come for you soon, my queen,"** he said in a softer tone. Before Hinata could question what he meant by that, the presence tapped her forehead, and she found herself encased in a black sphere hovering about a meter off the ground.

 **"Now then,"** the presence turned back to face Kakashi. **"Let's finish our fight. I'll try to restrain myself from killing you, but you would do well to not piss me off again."** The presence lunged at Kakashi, who copied his movement.

And all the while, Hinata was helpless to do anything but watch as they clashed while the superstorm raged.

x-x

Back in the market district, Ino and Tenten were busy guiding civilians to the underground shelters while other ninja searched for any stragglers who were unable to make their way to a shelter.

"What the hell is going on?" Ino asked.

"How should I know?" Tenten replied. "All I know is that one moment we're getting vague orders to evacuate the village and the next, the weather goes completely bonkers."

Up until said order had been given, New Years was a quiet affair for the two teenage kunoichi. Having been unable to find dates for the festival, much to their chagrin, they had decided to just have a girls' night out starting at one of the pastry shops, and had invited Sakura and Hinata to join them. However, Sakura had been unable to attend their outing, citing work as her excuse, while Hinata—and this had made Ino do a double take when Hinata said it—also turned them down, saying that she had her own plans for the evening. The reason for Ino's reaction was because her shy indigo-haired friend had been asked out on a date by _Naruto,_ of all people. Somehow, that blockhead had managed to figure out the worst-kept secret in the village, aka Hinata's feelings for him, and that was going to provide Ino with the perfect subject for gossip for a long time.

Rather, it _would_ have been the perfect subject for gossip, before everything went to hell in a hand-basket.

The rude interruption to their quiet night came with the sound of explosions near the Hokage Tower. Ino and Tenten had run outside to investigate, but found their path to the Tower blocked by Anbu wearing gray cloaks. They had moaned in disappointment and turned back around only to catch sight of a massive tapir summoning several dozen blocks away. Atop the tapir, Danzō Shimura was briefly engaged in combat with what appeared to be a Hyūga woman only a few years older than them. Before they could get a closer look, the tapir vanished in a cloud of smoke, retreating as a human-sized fireball slammed into the stone face of Hiruzen Sarutobi etched into the side of Hokage Mountain, engulfing it in a pillar of flames, and then disappearing to reveal the face was destroyed by the impact. And that was when another Anbu, a messenger this time, appeared with the evacuation orders.

So now here they were, in weather from hell.

"How many are left?" Tenten asked, looking at the line of people trying to force their way inside the entrance to the underground shelter. For the moment, this group of civilians was out of danger, but there was no way of knowing how long that would last. Ino focused her chakra into her Sensory Jutsu, attempting to pinpoint any remaining civilians: an unreliable method, since a civilian's chakra signature was often too small to detect.

"I can only pick up about fifty with my sensing," Ino replied with a groan. "It's taking way too long to get them all inside."

"Do you need some help?" a familiar voice said. A second later, a loud crash was heard, scaring the civilians into rushing into the shelter faster. Ino and Tenten turned towards the sound of the crash to face a Sakura whose hands were soaked in blood and had several slight tears in her red shirt and black pants kneeling in the center of a small crater. She looked like she had just been in a fight and barely managed to avoid getting her ass handed to her.

"Where have you been, billboard brow?"

"We don't have time for this, Ino-pig! After we get these people inside, we have to find Naruto and Hinata before it's too late!" Ino wanted to respond that she was sure those two would be fine, but the sight of how quickly everything had fallen apart coupled with the urgency in Sakura's voice and the entrance she'd made caused that thought to die a quick and fiery death.

"What happened to them?" Tenten asked worriedly.

 **"That brat and Hinata-sama are fine,"** a voice that could not possibly have belonged to Sakura answered over a psychic wavelength. **"If I were you, I would be more concerned about yourselves."** The three kunoichi all froze upon hearing that voice. It seemed to chill them to the bone and exert a frightening amount of pressure on them. In the next moment, two menacing figures wrapped in gold and black cloaks appeared in front of them. It only took another second after that for Sakura to realize that these demonic presences were both shadow clones and the original was elsewhere.

"Everyone get inside the shelter NOW!" Tenten yelled. The cloaked figures laughed as the civilians tried to squeeze through the entrance.

 **"A noble effort, but a wasted one. I could kill everyone in this village in a matter of seconds without breaking a sweat. The fodder aren't even worth that much time, but you three...well...normally I'd make an exception and end you now, but lucky for you, I have a reason to spare you. My queen is in need of handmaidens."**

 _'What the hell is up with this guy? His presence is too strong...I can't move...and what is he going on about with this handmaiden stuff?'_ Ino wondered. She did not get a chance to ponder the matter, as the presence on the right vanished, and in the same instant, she felt a harsh chop to the back of her neck, instantly rendering her unconscious.

"Ino!" Tenten yelled. She was also powerless to respond as the same presence also struck her in the back of the neck. She fell to her knees and was about to slump onto the ground, when the presence yanked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

 _'No way...I didn't get a chance to see its movements!'_ Sakura thought in horror as she stood in shock. _'This is beyond our capability!'_

 **"And as for you,"** the presence spoke as he moved closer to the still-frozen-in-place Sakura, **"I didn't expect to find you here. However, you did save me the trouble of having to search for you. I hope you're prepared for what comes next."**

Sakura knew she had no choice in the matter. No one in their right mind would fight that presence after seeing and feeling it do what it had already done, especially factoring in that it wasn't even the original. There was only one way she could save herself, and still have a chance to save her comrades.

So she ran.

x-x

Kakashi's Chidori was only a feint. When the presence blocked it, he immediately followed up with a roundhouse kick to the head, which appeared to have the desired effect by sending the presence careening into a wall. The Copy Ninja did not take any time to rest; he could not afford to. A confrontation with this demon was suicide, yet he had to buy as much time as he could, gather as much information as he could. Time the demon was not giving him, as he immediately stood up and brushed off his cloak as though nothing had happened.

 **"Had you put half as much time and effort into training me as you are this battle, maybe we could have avoided all this, y'know,"** the presence spoke telepathically.

"What's that supposed to mean? Why are you speaking as though I know you?" Every time conversation was struck up between him and the presence, Kakashi knew he had to take full advantage of it to stall for time, waiting for reinforcements. As powerful as he was, he had realized almost from the start that the presence was just toying with him.

 **"In another lifetime, another timeline, you did know me. But that doesn't matter now. I see no reason why I should say anything more to you on the subject, Friend-Killer Kakashi. It's rather ironic, though. I can see where Obito was coming from, even if his ideals differed from mine."**

For a few brief moments, Kakashi froze. How did this demon know about Obito and why was he talking about his dead friend's ideals? His shock quickly turned to anger as electricity again surrounded his right hand. "I don't know what ideas you have in your head about Obito, but you can shut up. You don't know him and you have no right to speak about him."

 **"Oh, that's right, I forgot. You still have this noble image of him dying to save you and Rin. Here's the problem, and this is gonna tear you apart inside: Obito didn't die that day. He lived long enough to prove his true nature as Uchiha filth, and became a pawn in a game he doesn't know the rules of or even realizes is being played."**

"SHUT UP!" Kakashi yelled, lunging at the demon. His charge quickly backfired, as the demon grabbed his wrist and twisted it around before kicking him squarely in the back. Kakashi fell to his knees for a moment, but quickly jumped away, trying to put some distance between himself and the presence. He screamed as he grabbed his dislocated wrist with his other hand and forced it back into place. _'I let myself get blinded by rage. How is that thing able to manipulate me like this? It's like that presence is inside my head, and has already figured out what makes me tick.'_

 **"Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash. But you, Kakashi...I think you already know why you're even worse than that."** The demon continued to slowly walk forward, like a predator staking its prey.

But just a second later, the demon became the prey of something else.

"Sealing Jutsu: Crouched Tiger Bomb!" a voice shouted. A white tiger construct pounced on the presence and bit down hard on its shoulder. For a few seconds, the presence tried to shake off the construct, but his efforts were futile, and he found himself getting dragged down inside a scroll, vanishing with a puff of smoke.

When the smoke faded, Kakashi faced down his reinforcements, which took the form of a black-haired teenage boy who looked to be in the same age group as Naruto. His pale skin evidenced a severe lack of sunlight, like he had spent the bulk of his training underground. More importantly, Kakashi could not find even a single hint of any emotion on the boy's face.

"Thanks for that," Kakashi spoke up. "I was in a bit of a bind. Mind telling me who you are, though? I don't recognize you."

"Isn't it customary to introduce yourself first before asking questions, Kakashi of the Sharingan?" the boy asked in reply. Kakashi frowned underneath his mask; there was something in this boy's speech that piqued his suspicions. The boy did not give him a chance to voice those suspicions, though, as he put on a smile and said, "Just kidding. I don't have a name, but you can call me Sai."

 _'That smile was completely fake,'_ Kakashi observed. "Judging from your reactions, Sai, I would wager a guess that you're a part of Danzō's unauthorized Root division of Anbu. Which begs the question, why did you assist me?"

"You are correct in that I _was_ part of Root," Sai answered. "It doesn't matter now. Danzō-sama is dead," he said in an almost casual tone, and stuck his tongue out to confirm it. Kakashi immediately noticed that the cursed seal applied to the tongues of every Root Anbu did not exist on Sai.

"Danzō is dead?" Kakashi wondered aloud. "How?"

"I am not currently aware of the details, Kakashi-san, and if I were, I imagine it would be too long of a story to discuss right now. However, to use your words, I would wager a guess that the demon I just sealed was involved." Kakashi could not argue with that. More importantly, he still needed to free Hinata from her black chakra prison and assist in the evacuation of civilians. However...

"This storm hasn't ceased, and the demon claimed responsibility for creating it. We have to assume you only sealed a clone and the original is still on the loose."

"That presents a big problem," Sai agreed. "My sealing jutsu requires substantial preparation time. If that was only a clone, then how strong is the original...?"

Before either of them could answer that, the ground around the scroll began shaking. Sai tried to walk towards and pick up the scroll which held the demonic clone captive, but he was knocked back by a pillar of blue fire. Moments later, the pillar dissipated to reveal that the scroll was gone and the demon was standing in its place.

 **"Sai,"** the demon growled. **"You don't have what it takes to hold me down. The strength of that seal depends on the strength of your negative emotions, and Danzō has done a fine job of suppressing them. But you being here...this is a pleasant surprise,"** he chuckled. **"I've been wanting to kick your ass since the first time I laid eyes on you."** He lunged at Sai, who drew his tantō and tried to repel the attack. Sai's effort failed completely, since the demon simply caught the blade in his left hand, while thrusting a small orb of black chakra into the Root nin's exposed midsection with his right. **"Mini-Rasengan!"** the demon shouted, sending Sai spiraling away towards one of the few buildings in the sector that hadn't yet been destroyed by the raging superstorm.

 _'There's no way...there's no possible way that thing can know that attack!'_ Kakashi thought as he jumped on the brief window Sai's defeat opened up to attack. Once more, he formed the Lightning Blade in his right hand and thrust towards the demon's chest. The blow should have dispelled the clone, but to Kakashi's horror, it was still standing there despite being impaled through where the heart should be.

 **"Oh no, it looks like I let my guard down. How foolish of me,"** the demon pretended to moan before bursting into mocking laughter.

"This is not possible..." Kakashi whispered. The demon turned his head to glance at Kakashi, and for a brief moment, the Copy Ninja was able to see its yellow, slitted eye. Kakashi trembled as the demon's glare seemed to pierce through his soul, the eye showing equal parts rage and amusement.

 **"I told you not to piss me off,"** the demon whispered. **"Did you not listen?!"** he shouted as he grabbed Kakashi's arm, which was still piercing his chest, with his right hand, and crushed it in his grip. Kakashi screamed as the bones in his forearm were broken, but soon lost his voice as the demon threw him into the air and flew after him with a large black orb ready to strike.

 **"Now get lost!"** Kakashi was completely unable to respond as the demon thrust the orb into his ribcage, crashing down with all the force of a war hammer. The Copy Ninja was sent flying across the village, only coming to a stop when he collided with the Memorial Stone. His last thought before losing consciousness was to wonder how the hell he was even still alive.

x-x

Dark Naruto couldn't control the smirk that emerged on his face as Friend-Killer Kakashi flew off to who cares where. That had been far too easy. Granted, he knew Kakashi had not fought to his fullest capability, but his former sensei was still considered one of Konoha's elite. If he had defeated the elite so decisively to make them look like mere Academy students, who could possibly stand in his way?

He turned around to walk back to the sphere that kept Hinata isolated from everything else only to find another pleasant sight: Sakura Haruno, trying to break Hinata free.

If he hadn't been so thoroughly disillusioned, he'd believe the kami were finally showing him their favor.

 _ **'Sakura, huh...'** _ Naturally, the pinkette would not understand that the orb was there to protect Hinata from his storm. In her present condition, Hinata would not be able to make it to any of the underground shelters and would certainly get sucked inside one of the tornadoes which continued to ravage this village if he didn't protect her.

For a moment, Dark Naruto contemplated the thought of thanking Sakura for her role in this affair. Her constant rejections and manipulations of him—ahem, his weaker light half—had sunk in over time and allowed him the chance to realize his mistakes in his past life. She could be considered at least partially responsible for why events had been allowed to unfold this way, up to the point he regained a physical form. Still, the yōkai held her in contempt above all else. The bonds Sakura had, specifically with Yuzuki and his younger self, prevented him from ending her. But that would have made matters worse in more ways than one. Yuzuki still needed to be healed, and he would never allow Tsunade to come within a kilometer of his beloved ever again.

One swift chop to the back of her neck and Sakura was out cold, just like Ino and Tenten had to be. The pink-haired medic slumped into his arms, while Hinata tried to cry out to him, wanting to know why all of this was happening, but her voice was blocked out by the black chakra which composed the sphere.

 _ **'If I could, I would take you with me,'**_ the yōkai thought. He hated to admit it, but she was one person he could not just abduct from Konoha. If Hinata were to leave, she would have to do it willingly, alongside his younger self. And Yuzuki would also need to have a say in the decision.

So for now, he waited on the original and the other clones to complete their tasks and rendezvous. It was only a matter of time before—

"Rasengan!" his younger half shouted without any warning. Dark Naruto felt the familiar blue orb slam into his head, forcing him to drop Sakura and sending him spiraling backwards towards a nearby pile of debris. But the worst part wasn't the fact he'd been ambushed, but—

 **"What the fuck?"** he growled, pushing himself to his feet; he was still in a bit of a daze from that attack. His head was ringing with an intense migraine. That attack had inflicted _pain_ on him. He did not believe it was even possible to feel pain anymore.

 _ **'This is impossible! That little brat actually hurt me! I am immortal! I am transcended! I demand to know how he can inflict harm on me!'**_

"Keep your hands off Sakura-chan, you asshole!" Naruto shouted at the yōkai. "And while you're at it, let Hinata out of here or I'll just have to keep pummeling you until you do!"

 **"Let your girlfriend out of the only thing that's stopping her from getting killed by this storm?"** Dark Naruto scoffed at his younger half. **"You do remember she's in bad shape, right? You should be thanking me for protecting her."**

"She wouldn't need to be protected from the storm if you hadn't made it, y'know!"

 **"Now what's going on?"** Dark Naruto's voice shouted from elsewhere. Naruto's head turned to see three more of the cloaked demons and quickly realized the one he'd hit with his Rasengan was just a clone. Each of the new arrivals was carrying an unconscious kunoichi; two of them—which had to be the other clones—had Ino and Tenten thrown over their shoulders like limp bags, while the original, distinguished by the sword strapped to his back—and this was the worst part for Naruto—was holding none other than...

"Kā-chan..." Naruto whispered. His face twisted in hate as he lunged at the original. "Let Kā-chan go!" he shouted, but the clone he had hit earlier intercepted his attack, grabbed his wrist, and threw him backwards, turning him into a human frisbee.

 **"We have a slight problem, y'know,"** the clone muttered before dispelling. The memories of the skirmish Dark Naruto walked in on came to him, and he grew livid with the realization that his younger self was able to completely bypass his invulnerability.

 _ **'Slight problem, my ass. But he's still just a child. This changes nothing,'**_ the original thought as he surveyed the scene and spotted Sakura lying limp on the ground. **_'I just can't be careless anymore.'_ "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" **he said, making a one-handed Ram seal with his free hand to replace the clone that had just dispelled. **"Don't mess up this time,"** he commanded the clone, who gave a curt nod and walked back towards the fallen Sakura.

Naruto recovered just in time to see the yōkai's clone pick up Sakura and toss her over its shoulder like an oversized rag doll. He quickly bounced to his feet and grew even more enraged. "We're not done here! Not until you let Yuzuki-kā-chan and the others go!"

 **"Let them go?"** The original Dark Naruto scoffed, mocking his living counterpart's demands. **"I'm afraid I can't do that, kid."**

"Oh, you can't, huh? Well, in that case..." Naruto crossed his hands to weave the familiar hand seal. "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he shouted, spawning dozens of clones who all glared at the enemy like wild beasts. "I'll just have to make you let them go!" they all shouted.

 **"Still so headstrong and naïve..."** Dark Naruto shook his head as his counterpart and the clones all tried to charge him. He was completely unimpressed by this feeble attempt at an attack, and would not indulge it. There was no time left to waste here. And speaking of time...

 **"You need to take a timeout!"**

x-x

The entire world froze from Naruto's perspective. Everything came to a complete stop: the wind, the flames, the lightning in the sky, his shadow clones—everything. Everything except Dark Naruto and his clones, one of which was slowly walking towards him. Naruto tried to shout out some response, but he too was frozen, unable to speak, unable to do anything but watch as the demon approached.

 **"Neat trick, right?"** Dark Naruto asked casually. **"As you can see, Naruto, I have gained more power than you can possibly imagine. Did you honestly think you had any chance of stopping me?"**

There was still no response, and no ability to form a response, from Naruto. Everything but his eyes were still frozen, allowing him only the ability to watch as the demonic presence continued his speech.

 **"Surely there must be some part of you that already recognizes me? We've already spoken so often that I shouldn't be unfamiliar to your dense mind. I'm glad Hinata didn't see me for who I am, though. That would have complicated matters. I should probably thank Kakashi for interfering before she could lift the veil over me."** The presence waved his hand, forcing the sphere Hinata was trapped inside turn around. A simple manipulation of the black chakra in the sphere also stopped her from moving, and even if she tried to use her Byakugan, the presence was now in her blind spot. His identity now safe from discovery by her eyes, the presence lifted his hood, and Naruto gasped as he fell to the ground.

"No way...no fucking way!" Naruto yelled. "You were only supposed to be in my head!"

Recognition of the presence crippled Naruto with shock. The appearance of his dark side had undergone some drastic changes since their arguments in his mindscape, though. His skin tone was a dark gray color and there was something that looked like a crack formed just under the left side of his neck. His whisker marks were larger and more feral, similar to when Naruto entered the initial stages of his jinchūriki transformation, but not quite as severe. The presence now had two sets of ears, his human ears, along with a pair of fox ears on top of his head; and parts of his hair had grown out to resemble a pair of horns. And his eyes were no longer red and pupil-less. The black sclerae were still present, but his red eyes had turned yellow and the pupils took on the shape of a cross.

 **"I don't want her to see me like this, not now, not ever,"** Dark Naruto continued as he lifted the hood back over his head and the flow of time resumed. **"It's the price I had to pay in order to gain this power. But no matter how hard I try, one way or another she will have to find out. Though, come to think of it, I never did get around to telling you just how it was that I know so much about your future, did I?"**

"I don't really care!" Naruto yelled at the yōkai. "I'll never turn out like you!"

 **"Is that so? So then you must know that I am your future self? Congratulations, kid. That means you're not as dumb as I thought. You don't need to worry about turning into _this,_ though. But let's not discuss that subject right now. You know I'm from the future. Can you tell me what else you learned?"**

"Like what? Stop playing your twisted mind games already!"

The demon clone yanked on his counterpart's hair and lifted him up, shaking him. **"Who's playing games here? You're the one who's still caught up in delusions. You're the one who's still acting like a pawn."**

"What's that supposed to mean, you jerk?! I've had it with your fucking games!"

 **"You really are too dense to be alive..."** Dark Naruto whispered angrily as his clone dropped his younger self to the ground. How in the hell was it that, after living with Yuzuki for almost three months, he still had not figured out who Yuzuki really is? **"You should have figured it out on your own by now. But you leave me no choice. I'm gonna have to break you until you're consumed with regret over your stupidity."** The demon clone grabbed Naruto's hair again and dragged him across the ground until they reached the sphere, then lifted him up and slammed his face against it.

 **"Look closely, Naruto! Tell me what you see!"** Dark Naruto screamed at his younger self. Hinata was crying from seeing Naruto being manhandled and tried to call out to him, but the sphere blocked all of her attempts to reach out to her beloved.

"It's Hinata..." Naruto gritted out. "What's the damn point of this?" Dark Naruto did not reply; the clone just dragged him away from Hinata and brought him back to face the original.

 **"Now look at Yuzuki and tell me what you see."**

"Let Kā-chan go, you bastard!" Naruto did not even try to listen to his dark half, and even if he did, his mind was too clouded by rage to attempt to understand the point the yōkai wanted to make. "Let all of them go, or I swear I'll—"

 **"Wrong answer!"** The original Dark Naruto punched his younger self in the face. **"Should I give you a hint?"** Naruto said nothing, instead spitting blood onto the demon's face and giving him a look of pure hatred. **"Think about it, Naruto. What do Yuzuki and Hinata have in common? For starters, they are the only people to have ever believed in you without you first needing to prove yourself."**

Begrudgingly, Naruto admitted the point. Naruto had always thought that was just because Hinata had a gentle nature and was always kind to everyone, and left it at that. But now that Dark Naruto was forcing him to revisit the thought, he realized that Yuzuki's behavior towards him was oddly similar to Hinata's despite the circumstances in which they met. His mask of hate slipped enough to make room for curiosity and he briefly gave up his struggle, allowing his dark half to be heard.

 **"It seems I finally have your attention. What's another thing they have in common? Think hard now."**

"Well," Naruto said, "they're both really good cooks and they're both able to make me eat things I normally hate, like anything with fresh veggies."

 **"Good. Keep going,"** Dark Naruto instructed, and as his younger self kept listing off the similarities between Yuzuki and Hinata, he soaked in and reveled in the expression on his younger self's face as it finally sunk in that something was wrong.

 _'Wait a second,'_ Naruto realized, the thought filling him with some degree of horror. _'There's no way Hinata and Yuzuki-kā-chan can possibly be that much alike. What's going on?'_

 **"I see you figured out that something was off. How could a complete stranger who you got to know over the past few months have so much in common with someone you've known for much longer? Their personality, their appearance, and just about everything else. Now it's time for you to know why."**

No. Naruto was resolute that he would _not_ be forced to hear the answer to that question. He knew instinctively that if he heard the answer, something terrible would happen to him, something from which he would never be able to recover.

"No! I don't want to hear it!" Naruto pulled himself free of his dark half's grip and scrambled away, covering his ears to try to shut out the evil voice. Dark Naruto sighed, though he was not bothered by Naruto's continued resistance this time.

 **"Covering your ears won't do you any good,"** the original Dark Naruto spoke telepathically. Naruto stumbled just long enough that his hands fell from his head, and his dark half moved closer to stop any further attempt to block out the voice. **"You _will_ hear me. You _will_ hear the truth." **The yōkai grabbed both of Naruto's hands with his free hand, as though Naruto still could think that covering his ears would stop him from hearing, and whispered the mind-shattering revelation into his younger half's ear.

 **"Yuzuki _is_ Hinata. She went back in time after you died, and my spirit followed her."**

In the back of his mind, Naruto felt something that was best compared to the shattering of glass. Deep down, he knew it was true and he did not understand how he could not have seen it sooner, but at the same time, he still did not _want_ to see it. He could not _accept_ that his surrogate mother and his love interest were actually the same person, just in two separate bodies.

"No...nooooo!" Naruto cried out. "You're lying! _You're still fucking lying to me!"_

Dark Naruto grabbed his younger half by the throat and glared directly into his eyes. **"You're** _ **STILL**_ **in denial.** **Nobody wanted or will ever want you except Hinata. She is the only person in this godforsaken world who gives two shits about you. Naturally only Hinata could be compassionate enough to take a brat like you in and care for you. Naturally only she could be strong enough, and selfless enough, to let go of her feelings for you and sacrifice her happiness to secure your own.**

 **"Wake up, Naruto! Right now you have two roads ahead of you. The first road, the one I took in my past life, will only lead to pain, sorrow, and you dying alone. The second road will give you the chance to have everything you ever wanted in life, but you're still too arrogant, too set in your** **ways** **to see that this road is even there, much less choose to walk down it!"**

"Shut up!" Naruto yelled; he was on the brink of tears. "Shut up and give Kā-chan back! Don't you dare take her from me!"

Dark Naruto lowered him down and pulled him so close he was practically breathing on his counterpart. **"You have your Hinata.** **T** **his one is mine and I was separated from her long enough in my timeline.** **Abandon** **this village now, Naruto and take** **your Hinata** **with you, or you will regret it for the rest of your miserable life."**

The next thing Naruto felt was an elongated fingernail cut into his neck, pouring some sort of liquid substance down into his throat. Dark Naruto then picked him up and with a powerful swing he threw him into the black sphere surrounding Hinata. Hinata caught Naruto as the orb expanded to fit them both but he quickly got to his knees and started pounding on the barrier crying out for Yuzuki. As a small ethereal doorway formed behind him, Dark Naruto looked back at the tragic pair. In spite of her injuries, Hinata was trying her best to calm Naruto as his fists continued to beat at the unbreakable barrier.

 **"Last chance, kid. Don't screw it up,"** the yōkai whispered before the door closed and he and his clones vanished from sight.

x-x

 **A/N: Well things really went to hell in a hand basket there, wouldn't you say? What will Naruto do now that he knows the deeper truth behind Yuzuki? What's Dark Naruto going to do with his captives? Why am I asking you these questions anyway? lol...**

 **My thanks go out to my editor SilentSambo88 for answering reviews for me. I don't have a lot of free time due to college and other things, which is partly why this chapter came so late. That and I kinda got addicted to some phone games :/**

 **Anyway, please leave a review and try to stick around if you can, 'cause the worst has yet to come.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Aftermath of Genocide**

Tsunade burst through the pile of debris that was holding her down with a loud noise bellowed from her throat that was a half-gasp, half-scream. Despite the fact her Mitotic Regeneration was still active, she was struggling to recover from the injuries sustained inside that vortex. She fell to her hands and knees and for a few critical seconds, she was physically incapable of doing anything but stare at what was left of the village her grandfather created.

Konohagakure no Sato, the original hidden shinobi village, had been turned into the world's largest dump. Housing complexes, businesses; every building in sight had been torn from its foundations and thrown every which way. But that wasn't the worst of it. Having fought in major wars before, Tsunade was no stranger to the gruesome sight of blood and corpses, but what she saw here was far worse than the past cruelties she witnessed. The dead villagers she saw had not been killed cleanly; some had large pieces of wood jutting out from their skulls, while others had been impaled on metal poles. Tsunade lost control over her bodily functions and vomited. This level of carnage...what kind of being was capable of causing so much destruction with just a single jutsu? and one that had needed so little effort to cast?

The Slug Princess forced herself to regain her composure. She was still the Hokage, but more importantly, she was still a combat medic. If anyone on the surface was still alive, it was her duty to make sure they stayed that way.

Tsunade bit her thumb hard and weaved five hand seals, then slammed her palm down on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!" she yelled out. In an instant, she was no longer standing on the ground, but was atop the head of her famous summon creature, the giant slug Katsuyu.

"Tsunade-sama, what happened?" Katsuyu asked.

"No time to explain, Katsuyu! Just find and heal as many people as you can!" Tsunade responded. Katsuyu split itself into thousands of smaller slug clones which dispersed throughout the ruins, seeking out any villagers who might still be living. However, after a few minutes any hope of finding survivors began to fade away into the late-night breeze.

"It doesn't look good, milady," the clone of Katsuyu on Tsunade's shoulder said. "So far, my clones are unable to find any survivors at ground level. There's already a high probability that everyone who was caught in the storm and couldn't make it to an underground shelter was killed."

Tsunade fell to her knees again, forgetting how she was supposed to respond to that announcement. Murphy's Law had been invoked against her with the deadliest fury tonight. Everything that could have possibly gone wrong for her, did. The Hokage Tower no longer existed; its materials were scattered throughout the ruins of her village. Tsunade despaired; she had already lost Shizune before the storm ravaged Konoha, and now it appeared she may have lost Sakura as well, along with Naruto and Hinata. Had the Senju curse struck again? Was Tsunade still meant to lose everyone close to her?

"Please wait a moment," Katsuyu said, its words barely gripping onto the last threads of hope in Tsunade's soul. "One of my clones has located a strong chakra signature in the shopping district, Tsunade-sama. It's coming from some kind of black orb...and it looks like there's two survivors trapped inside!"

Tsunade was already rushing towards that area. "Who's in there, Katsuyu?"

"It's difficult to see inside the orb. The chakra that was used to create it is denser than anything I've ever felt. Wait, hold on," Katsuyu paused. "It's them, Tsunade-sama! It's Naruto-kun and Hinata-san!"

 _'Oh, thank goodness,'_ Tsunade thought, stumbling in her run as her knees buckled from receiving confirmation of their survival. She quickly recovered and pushed as much chakra into her legs as they could handle, desperately racing towards whatever was left of the shopping district as quickly as was possible for her. When she arrived...she found that Katsuyu's description of the scene was woefully, perhaps horrifically inadequate.

The black chakra orb in which Naruto and Hinata were trapped hovered about a meter off the ground. Naruto was incessantly pounding against the barrier which separated him from the outside world with both fists to the point that the skin over his knuckles had been torn off completely. He was shouting, but his voice was inaudible from Tsunade's perspective. While Naruto still struggled to break free from his confinements, Hinata had her arms wrapped around his waist and her head was buried into his shoulder, silently spilling both tears and blood onto his kimono.

Without hesitation, Tsunade ran up towards the orb to try to examine it and figure out how to get the broken pair free. Neither of them seemed to take notice of her presence.

"What the hell is this?" she whispered.

"The barrier seems to be emitting a strange chakra that reacts automatically to any and every foreign object that approaches and rejects it," Katsuyu explained. "Even on this small scale, it is immensely powerful. If a similar barrier were to be cast over a larger area, it could possibly exceed the strength of the Four Crimson Ray Formation."

"Are you serious?" Tsunade asked in disbelief. The Four Crimson Ray Formation was one of the highest-level barrier ninjutsu ever created. The sheer amount of chakra and mental focus needed to erect and maintain that barrier required four Kage-level ninja, and it severely restricted the other techniques said Kage could use. But this barrier, which Katsuyu claimed could rival or surpass that technique, had been formed by just one individual, the same one that had laid waste to her village.

"I am afraid so, Tsunade-sama. However, like most barrier ninjutsu this orb appears to require a massive continual infusion of chakra in order to sustain. Since the person who created the orb is no longer in the area, I do not believe it will remain intact for much longer."

Katsuyu's timing could not have been any worse. Almost immediately after she finished her explanation, the barrier dispersed, unceremoniously dropping Naruto and Hinata onto the ground. From there, the situation only continued to deteriorate. The moment they fell to the ground, Hinata lost her grip on Naruto and fell backward, having lost consciousness. This only fed Naruto's rage, causing him to lunge at Tsunade like a wild animal. He wasn't even calling on the Kyūbi's chakra...yet, but he was still unable to separate friend from foe in his current mental state.

"Calm down, Naruto!" Tsunade shouted, dodging the initial lunge from Naruto and trying to restrain herself from taking an offensive that could very well inflict too much damage on him. "I'm not here to hurt you!" That actually made Naruto get even angrier with Tsunade. He lunged at her again, and each time he missed he ended up tearing apart something that hadn't yet been completely destroyed. His speech as he went on the attack was indistinguishable, except for one word, "Kā-chan," which was spewed out in an accusatory tone, as though Naruto was blaming Tsunade for Yuzuki's disappearance.

"Katsuyu!" Tsunade commanded. "Have your clones instruct the Medic Corps to get their asses over here, stat! There isn't time to ask why. I've got my hands full with Naruto right now. Something is affecting his mind and I can't use any force against him because by doing so, I run the risk of making this situation worse!"

"Very good, milady," Katsuyu acknowledged and sent the instructions to its clones. Tsunade was left trying to fend off Naruto for the next several minutes as she waited for the message to reach the Medic Corps who already had their hands full in what limited space there was available in the hospital's basement to treat the wounded.

Upon arriving at the scene, two of the twenty total medics that received the order immediately tried to move towards Hinata and get her placed onto a stretcher...which proved to be a mistake. Naruto saw them from the corner of his eye and made them his new target. The pair quickly backed away, but not before Naruto had torn through their white uniforms and left slash marks on both. Worse, having seen what they tried to do, Naruto was now on all fours taking a defensive position directly above Hinata.

"What the hell is wrong with him?!" one of the two medics who Naruto injured shouted.

"Everyone calm down and listen!" Tsunade shouted back. "You were too hasty in trying to act. What we need to do is show Naruto that we're trying to help him. Stand back and wait for my signal!" They all stopped and stood by while Tsunade slowly walked forward, cautiously approaching the enraged Naruto.

"Naruto, it's okay," the Slug Princess said to him in a soothing tone. "I meant what I said when I said I'm not here to hurt you. I only want to help. So could you let me help? We need to take Hinata out of here." Naruto's response was a low growl, indicating he had no desire whatsoever to give Hinata over to Tsunade. "Naruto, listen. Hinata is in really bad shape and we need to get her to the hospital so we can heal her. If you don't let me take her, she'll die. Do you want that?"

Naruto slightly relaxed his defensive position and his facial expression morphed into a more curious one, like he was contemplating Tsunade's question. That single moment was enough for Tsunade to yank Hinata out from under him, instantly setting off his anger point again.

"Now!" Tsunade shouted, and the Medic Corps rushed into action. The two who had been previously attacked trying to retrieve Hinata rushed her out of the area, while the rest had their hands full with a Naruto who was fighting back viciously. Within the first few seconds of Tsunade's gambit, one of the medics had been slammed into a broken piece of concrete hard enough to break his collarbone, and two others were bleeding profusely from their forearms.

Due to the ferocity of his attacks, it took several minutes for Tsunade and the Medic Corps to restrain Naruto enough that he could be moved to the hospital. But even then, Naruto did not stop struggling against them.

x-x

 _One hour later_

"Hold him down, damn it!" Tsunade yelled at the medical staff assigned to Naruto in the maximum security ward located on the lowest basement level of Konoha General Hospital.

"We're trying!" one of the nurses yelled back. "Naruto-san, please calm down!"

It was no use. Naruto had quickly broken most of the restraints on his bed and was thrashing about wildly, screaming inaudible words. Even Tsunade, with her infamous strength, was having serious problems trying to sedate Naruto in his present state.

"Damn it all!" Tsunade cursed. "Where the hell is Sakura?!"

They were all thrilled when the door opened and were greeted with the sight of Jiraiya. At first his face was morbid; after seeing the village in ruins one could hardly blame him for that outlook, but his expression quickly changed to panic when he saw the scene with Naruto. "Tsunade, what the fu—"

"Don't just stand there, Jiraiya! Help us hold him down!" Tsunade bellowed.

Jiraiya quickly complied and held Naruto's legs while the nurses held his torso and arms. But things only got worse as orange chakra began to materialize.

"We're gonna have a big problem here, Hime," Jiraiya growled.

"Just hold him while I get a syringe!" Tsunade shouted back, throwing open the medicine cabinet.

An orange arm shot out of Naruto's back and punched Jiraiya squarely in the chest, throwing him back. As Naruto began to gain momentum and tear through the remaining restraints keeping him in bed, the nurses began fearing for their own well-being. Tsunade saw it all in her peripheral vision as she frantically tossed aside anything that was useless to her until she found the file of sedatives. "Sorry about this, kid!" she yelled, jamming the needle into his neck. Naruto howled in pain and for a second his body lurched enough to throw everyone in the room in opposite directions. Fearful that it had not worked, Tsunade prepared to use a more drastic means of knocking Naruto out, but it proved unnecessary. Naruto's body thrashed and squirmed a little longer before the orange chakra receded and he fell back on the bed. Tsunade sighed deeply and pushed herself to her feet.

"Finally. That little brat won't be waking from that anytime soon."

Jiraiya was also on his feet again and gave Tsunade a stern look. "Pardon my language, Tsunade...but what the fuck is going on? I come back from my latest mission only to find that the whole village was ripped apart by God knows what. Then I come into the hospital looking for you, which I might add has a huge hole in the side of it, and I find Naruto thrashing about like a caged animal."

"I know, damn it! Give me a break! Do you know how hard it was to drag that kid here? We found him and Hinata trapped in some kind of orb made out of black chakra. It took nearly half an hour for it to dispel and when it did the poor girl passed out from blood loss. Naruto was already uncontrollable then but when Hinata lost consciousness all hell broke loose. Don't even get me started on when we had to move her to a different room; some of the medics here are in need of medical treatment themselves after the difficulty they had in trying to force Naruto into his bed," Tsunade said while injecting two IVs into Naruto's left arm, one was to keep him hydrated while the other fed his bloodstream a special medical fluid concocted to assist the body's immune system with fighting off infections.

"Be that as it may Hokage-sama, I too would like to know what is going on," a new voice said. Tsunade groaned in recognition of the voice, knowing its owner's timing could not have been any worse. It belonged to Hiashi Hyūga, and he was bringing an entourage consisting of Neji, Kō, Kiba, Shino, and Kurenai to the rapidly crowding hospital room.

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama but there was nothing I could do," a Medic Corps ninja who was also among the new arrivals frantically explained. "Hiashi-sama insisted on seeing you and well…"

Tsunade groaned. "Let me guess, everyone wants to know what's going on?"

"That would be a good start," yet another voice said. It was so typical of Kakashi to make this kind of entrance despite the fact his right arm was in a cast and sling.

 **"You wanna know what's going on,** **huh** **?** **Well,** **I have no fucking clue** **what's going on** **! One minute D** **anz** **ō stages a coup and the next some demon wearing gold shows up from out of nowhere and decides to tear apart the whole village** **on a whim** **!** **What do you want from me?!"** Tsunade yelled at her audience. Everyone else quickly fell silent. Tsunade had lost her cool on many occasions, but this latest explosion was inherently worse by order of magnitude.

"You two may leave," Jiraiya said, addressing the nurses. They seemed all too happy to receive that order and left quickly. Jiraiya then turned back to Tsunade and asked, "What happened, Hime?"

Tsunade punched the wall and slid to her knees, her voice shaky. "Danzō...he, he killed Shizune...right in front of me and I couldn't do a thing…" Jiraiya knelt down next to her, offering her a hug which she accepted gratefully. Her face was buried in her former teammate's shoulder, hiding her tears from the outside world. For a while, everyone else granted Tsunade this moment of silence to mourn her loss, but while knowing one of them had to break up that moment soon. For the Hokage, more than any other shinobi, had to put their duty to the village above all else.

"The loss of Shizune-san comes as a shock and shame to us all I am sure," Hiashi broke the silence and took the floor. "She was an excellent iryō-nin and a compassionate soul, a rarity in our world. However, the whole village is suffering and we do not have the luxury of wallowing in grief. If we are going to waste our time here, Hokage-sama, we may as well do it by attempting to figure out what happened to lead up to this calamity. Now, you mentioned that Danzō staged a _coup d'_ _é_ _tat_ earlier. As much as it pains me to admit it, the Hyūga have been blind to his recent activities. What is the story behind the elder's insurrection?"

"There isn't much to tell, really. That traitor was after the Hat for decades; it just so happened that he took his chance to seize power tonight," Tsunade said, reaching for a hidden seal on the wall that, when activated, would reveal an emergency stash of saké which only she could access.

Hiashi sighed, closed his eyes and folded his arms, his aura oozing with disapproval. "I see you still take me for a fool."

"Well, the word I would have used is prick, but I suppose that works too," Tsunade mumbled under her breath.

"What are you getting at, Hyūga-sama?" Kakashi asked.

"Just how long did you think you could conceal the existence of an unregistered Hyūga woman from my clan?" was Hiashi's reply.

Tsunade choked on her saké and started coughing and spurting, Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, and Kurenai and Kakashi remained motionless.

"How did you—" Tsunade began but then saw that Neji was shifting uncomfortably back and forth. "Neji…" she growled.

"Do not put the blame on my nephew. I knew who Yuzuki-san was the minute she walked through the gates of Konoha. Well, to be honest I was only certain of her identity the day after Naruto-san returned to Konoha, when Hinata went to welcome him home. I had sent my daughter's bodyguard Kō to trail her and make sure everything went smoothly when the most bizarre occurrence happened in the market district. Hinata bumped into a strange woman and lost consciousness. After the woman had taken Hinata to an alleyway to recover Kō-san confirmed that she was in fact a member of my clan. Imagine my surprise when Kō-san reported this to me and I later found that there are no records of there being such a woman in the clan. What's more is that you, the Hokage, were making every effort you could think of to keep her existence secret from me."

"And you wonder why?" Tsunade asked sarcastically.

"The precautions the clan currently takes to protect the secrets of its bloodline are detestable. But that is not important right now. For better or for worse, attempting to conceal her existence from me actually worked out in my favor. I believe you gave Yuzuki-san custody over Naruto-san, correct?"

Tsunade did not like where this was going and frowned. "And if I did?"

Hiashi took the opening and said plainly, "Then in her absence, as Yuzuki-san is no longer in the village but was most likely taken hostage by the demon who wreaked havoc on our village after Danzō's failed coup, I shall be taking Naruto-san into my custody, since I am his surrogate mother's closest living relative."

"That's hilarious," Jiraiya deadpanned. "I didn't think you were capable of humor, Hiashi-san. The agreement Yuzuki made was for her to cut all ties with the Hyūga Clan in exchange for being granted approval to live with Naruto. Once she signed that agreement, you lost all influence over her."

"You seem to be forgetting that as the clan head, I am required to have a voice in whether a member of my clan is emancipated. You did not approach me as required by clan law, and you had better hope the elders are still in the dark."

"As Hokage, my orders overrule clan law. I can grant immunity to anyone I wish, Hiashi," Tsunade growled.

"I will not dispute that. Had I issued a decree to brand Yuzuki-san with the Caged Bird Cursed Seal, you would be well within your rights to punish me as a traitor. But you are continuing to miss the point. Yuzuki-san could not be allowed to leave the Hyūga Clan without, if not my permission, then at least my awareness."

"Yet you weren't even aware of Yuzuki's existence until the day she officially renounced her clan," Jiraiya pointed out. "We can waste the rest of the night discussing this issue, Hiashi-san, or you can simply accept that Naruto will not be going anywhere with you."

"And might I ask where would you have Naruto-san go?" Hiashi inquired. "His apartment is in ruins and all of his belongings were destroyed. The clothes he was wearing for the New Years Festival are in tatters. Naruto-san currently does not have even a single material possession."

"I'll take him with me. I ended his training prematurely and it was a rash decision. I shouldn't have brought him back to the village so soon."

"It was reckless of you to take Naruto-san out of Konoha the first time around, leaving yourself as his only line of defense against the Akatsuki. Would he even want to leave the village with you a second time, Jiraiya-sama? From my observations, both you and Hokage-sama have broken Naruto's trust. His relationship with you is strained. Even if that were not the case, where would Naruto even go once you return? Back to an empty apartment with only his shadow clones to keep him company? That sounds like an act of cruelty."

"You're accusing us of taking some sick pleasure out of Naruto's loneliness," Kakashi spat.

"I am merely pointing out that you have done nothing to make amends," Hiashi corrected the Copy Ninja. "Or would you prefer I did make such accusations, Hatake-san?"

"Are you going to get to the point anytime soon?" Tsunade asked. "At this point, when I lose my restraint and attack you it will probably be out of boredom."

"Your mistake was not in allowing Yuzuki-san to get close to Naruto-san, but in trying to separate them once they bonded," the Hyūga patriarch chided the Slug Princess. "The question which needs addressing here is of Naruto's mental stability. He lost his biological family the night he was born and was made to live completely alone for his entire childhood. Due to the events which transpired just a few hours ago, he has lost his surrogate family as well. His mind simply cannot handle the strain under which he is being placed. So if you would prefer to see Naruto-san in a body bag brought to you by your Anbu because he broke under the strain and decided to give up on everything, then by all means, put him back into that situation."

"What do you care about his well-being, Hyūga-sama? You would only use Naruto-kun to boost your clan's political standing. You don't actually give a damn about what happens to him," Kurenai cut in.

"That's not entirely accurate," Neji said in a dangerously low voice. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing or thinking and turned to face him, giving him looks of anger or shock. When those particular words were said, it generally meant two things: there was about to be a major reveal of sensitive information, and someone was being called out on their BS.

"How long have you known about this, Neji?" Tsunade demanded, cracking her knuckles. "Because I'm two seconds away from caving Hiashi's face in and locking him in prison if I don't start getting answers."

Neji turned to face Hiashi for a moment, silently asking permission to continue speaking, and Hiashi nodded. He turned back to face the others and said, "Hiashi-sama has been trying to take Naruto-san in for longer than you know, Tsunade-sama. The night Hiashi-sama discovered that Sandaime-sama had left Naruto-san to fend for himself, with only a small detail of Anbu watching him, there was a very heated exchange at the Hokage Mansion. Hiashi-sama wanted to honor the dying wish of Yondaime-sama and do what no one else in Konoha was willing to do. However, Sandaime-sama refused to allow Hiashi-sama to make Naruto a ward of the Hyūga Clan due to Naruto's status as a jinchūriki. From the standpoint of village security and village politics, the move would have placed too much power into the hands of the Hyūga Clan. But regardless, Hiashi-sama would have ensured that Naruto received the care he needs, had his request been approved."

The room fell dangerously quiet for several seconds. Every non-Hyūga present in the room gave Hiashi and Neji various looks of disbelief towards that revelation. How on earth had Hiashi managed to survive such a confrontation with Hiruzen? _Why_ would Hiashi even try to make Naruto's life better, if his motives were actually not centered around the acquisition of political power?

"Okay...you did _what?!"_ Kurenai broke the silence. The number of questions reflected in her eyes kept growing larger with each passing second.

"Hyūga-sama," Kakashi gritted out, choosing to immediately disbelieve Neji's words and what they implied, "you would dare to compromise Naruto's loyalty to the village by making him subservient to you?"

"Don't turn this into a question of loyalty, Hatake-san," Hiashi warned. "I have already demonstrated my loyalty to Konoha quite thoroughly through my willingness to die for the sake of peace when the Raikage blackmailed Sandaime-sama and demanded my death after I killed his ambassador who was caught trying to kidnap Hinata. This isn't about the pursuit of power; I have already gained as much as you are willing to allow, and have no desire to seek additional power, at least not for myself. My goal is a far more serious matter, and it just so happens to fall in line with the promise Naruto-san made to my nephew to change the Hyūga Clan."

"What could you possibly want from Naruto besides additional political leverage?" Kakashi asked angrily. Hiashi turned to stare down the Copy Ninja, and his reply would be a game-changer.

"The strong front the Hyūga put up is a façade. The clan is at risk of going extinct, and has been for some time now. All of my major endeavors over the past year and a half have been in the pursuit of a single goal: to ensure the successful reformation and survival of my clan."

Again, everyone else in the room was stunned into silence for several long seconds.

And again, it was Kurenai who broke the silence:

"And to do that...you're encouraging Naruto-kun and Hinata-chan to nurture their relationship to the point that they are willing to have children together?"

"Do you disapprove, Yūhi-san? I was under the impression that their relationship has more than enough chemistry to lead them to that point. Or did you think that Naruto-san would choose to pursue someone else?"

"Hold up a moment!" Tsunade cut in. "Naruto and Hinata have only barely advanced past a platonic friendship. They're still teenagers, Hiashi-san. I don't believe for one second that they're mature enough to sustain the current level of their relationship in the years to come. It would be all too easy for them to lose romantic interest in one another, especially after what happened tonight." But instead of coaxing Hiashi into an immediate, nasty response, Tsunade's latest claims triggered something that was simply unthinkable to anyone present in the room.

It caused Hiashi Hyūga to _laugh._ A sarcastic laugh, but still a laugh, and one that served to strengthen his next reply.

"I should let you take a moment to consider just how poorly you chose to word that last statement, Hokage-sama. I believe we have thoroughly established that your current apprentice remains hopelessly enamored with a certain Uchiha traitor. Though I cannot comprehend why Haruno's feelings persist this long after Uchiha's betrayal, I can express relief knowing that her feelings are unchanging. I shudder to think of how a romantic relationship between Uzumaki-san and Haruno-san would progress if they were ever forced together.

"But I have become sidetracked. Yes, it is evident that I wish for Naruto and Hinata to procreate in due time. Why, you ask?" Hiashi borrowed Shino's verbal tic as he pointed at Neji's forehead, silently telling Neji to remove his forehead protector and expose the Caged Bird Cursed Seal branded there. "Because their children would eliminate the need to continue the abhorrent practice of sealing the members of the Branch House."

For the third time in this meeting, Hiashi Hyūga left all of the non-Hyūga present stunned. Everyone there knew full well that certain members of the Hyūga Main House, who still opposed his intended reforms to the clan, would make a nasty ruckus if that plan got within earshot of them.

"You're actually serious about this, Hiashi-san," Jiraiya observed. It was not a question.

"Dead serious, Jiraiya-sama. Slowly but surely, the Hyūga Clan is destroying itself. It took Naruto's upset victory over my nephew in the Chūnin Selection Exams for me to see that. My original plan had been to absorb Naruto-san into the Hyūga Clan via an arranged marriage to my eldest daughter, but unfortunately the elders were able to convince me that Hinata would never be fit to succeed me as the clan head. When Hinata was disinherited and Hanabi replaced her as heiress, the plan changed to have Hinata become a concubine for Naruto-san in the likelihood that the clan would not allow her to legally marry him. However, after Naruto-san opened my eyes to the rift our clan's juinjutsu created, I came to terms with the knowledge that certain practices, if allowed to continue, would lead the Hyūga Clan to suffer the same fate as our cousin clan, the Ōtsutsuki, whose Branch House rebelled against and destroyed their Main House. Needless to say, the self-destruction of the Hyūga would be a catastrophe for Konoha.

"And then it occurred to me that I could kill two or possibly even three birds with one stone. If Naruto and Hinata were allowed to become romantically involved naturally, without any interference, their union would not only satisfy their emotional needs and serve to ease my conscience, it would demonstrate that a legitimate, beneficial change had occurred in the clan. Their children would also carry tremendous potential for further change.

"Hokage-sama...surely you must realize, with your extensive medical knowledge, just how much potential an Uzumaki-Hyūga offspring would have?"

Tsunade's eyes widened as she quickly arrived at the conclusion Hiashi was about to announce. However, it was Neji who said it first:

"We have already ran our own tests and confirmed there is a one hundred percent probability that any offspring Hinata-sama might bare for Naruto-san will inherit the Byakugan, but that it will be dormant at birth. It would be impossible for anyone to steal the Hyūga dōjutsu from those children if they have not been activated. Hinata-sama and Naruto's children would also inherit the extended longevity of the Uzumaki Clan's bloodline, albeit diluted, but still allowing more room for their united bloodline to expand. They will usher in a new day for the Hyūga Clan, the day when the Branch House is no longer enslaved and the clan can finally stand united."

"So that's your endgame," Tsunade quietly muttered after Neji finished, giving off the false appearance of contemplating Hiashi's plans. "There's still too many secrets being kept by your clan for me to believe you actually have noble intentions." She made no effort whatsoever to hide her misgivings.

"Unifying the Hyūga Clan and giving it the tools it needs to adapt and survive the changes that are coming in the future, as well as ensuring the happiness of my eldest daughter and her chosen; those are my highest priorities, Hokage-sama. I care too strongly about Hinata and Naruto to allow their dreams and efforts to go to waste. Say what you will about my methods, but they are for the greater good, and you will not be able to deny the results they'll bring."

"And I suppose Kiba-kun and Shino-kun know about this as well?" Kurenai asked, receiving a pair of nods from her students.

"Not to this extent, Kurenai-sensei, at least not until now, but we did have some awareness of his plan," Shino clarified while adjusting his sunglasses.

"What about Naruto and Hinata? Are there any plans to tell any of this to them? What will you do if they decide to reject your manipulations?" Tsunade said.

"You are hardly one to question my actions, Hokage-sama. How many secrets have you kept and are continuing to keep from Naruto-san? In particular, the true identity of Yuzuki-san?" Hiashi challenged, and once again, he successfully rendered the Slug Princess speechless. "But since it was necessary for this secret to come to light now, understand that it is for my daughter's own good that she is kept in the dark. I cannot risk the elders discovering this plan. Any outside interference in Hinata's relationship with Naruto-san will only have negative effects on the two of them. I wish to avoid that at all costs. You are intimately aware of the difficulty in getting Naruto-san to lower his defenses for anyone, even those closest to him. Anything with the ability to open a rift between Naruto and Hinata would push Naruto to close himself off even further, perhaps even past the point of no return. Additionally, such events have the potential to shatter Hinata's self-confidence and I fear that she could be driven to inflict harm on herself if she were to lose him.

"Whether Hinata and Naruto-san continue to explore their relationship will be left entirely up to them. I may nudge them a little, but I will not force them. Though I have strong reason to doubt there will be any need to force the issue. Hinata has already made her decision. And that, will not change," Hiashi finished, his lips twisting slightly upward to form something that was supposed to resemble a smile.

The argument was abruptly cut short when everyone felt the room shaking. Naruto had started thrashing about again, and had already caused the IVs in his arms to burst with the orange chakra leaking out of his seal. Both Tsunade and Jiraiya tried to approach Naruto, but were pushed back by a powerful chakra pulse.

"Oh, what now?" Tsunade groaned.

"Did something happen to the seal during that superstorm?" Jiraiya asked.

"Negative," Kō said, his Byakugan activated. "The Eight Trigrams Seal has not weakened any further since the last time it was examined. It is still continuing to function properly."

"Then what the hell is happening?" Tsunade demanded.

"It appears that some sort of liquid is circulating throughout his chakra network," Kō explained. "The liquid is causing Naruto's chakra to turn black. The emergence of the Kyūbi no Yōko's chakra cloak is not an indicator of the bijū attempting to escape or exert its will over Naruto. It's actually the opposite: the liquid is weakening the Kyūbi and Naruto is unconsciously draining more power from it than his body can handle."

"Alright," Tsunade said grimly. "I need everyone here to keep Naruto restrained while I try to extract the foreign liquid from his system."

"I do not believe that to be the best course of action," Hiashi objected, having activated his Byakugan and analyzed the disturbance in Naruto's chakra network for himself. "If Naruto-san is unconsciously drawing on the Kyūbi's power in his present state, he is being driven by an instinctive need for that power."

"You're very fortunate that I've restrained myself this much, Hiashi. Don't push your luck," Tsunade threatened, her back turned to the Hyūga head. But Hiashi knew it was an empty threat.

"Threats don't become you, Hokage-sama. After everything that has happened, you can understand why I might have doubts about your worthiness of that title. But now is not the time to get sidetracked by that discussion. I know how to calm Naruto-san, and I will gladly lend my assistance if you are willing to receive it."

"I suppose this is your way of showing you care about him?"

"Kō-san, please retrieve my eldest daughter from her room," Hiashi commanded his daughter's bodyguard.

"Hinata-chan is in serious condition and needs rest! Are you trying to get her killed?!" Kurenai screamed.

"Follow my instructions, Kō-san. I shall take full responsibility for everything that happens from this point forward," Hiashi continued as though Kurenai hadn't spoken. Kō bowed and quickly ran off.

"Now what are you planning..." Kakashi said in a low voice, lifting his forehead protector up and preparing to use his Sharingan to subdue Naruto.

"Can everyone forget about his plan for now and focus on the bigger problem?!" Kiba snapped as he barely dodged an orange chakra arm that materialized and attempted to crush him in its grip.

"Damn it, Hiashi! Your plan had better work!" Tsunade yelled, being forced to step back.

Hiashi remained unfazed and instead tapped his foot; the continuing developments were making him grow impatient. Despite having a perfect view of Kō through the visual range of the Byakugan, he was about to ask Neji to follow Kō and see why it was taking so long to retrieve Hinata. It proved to be unnecessary as Kō started running back to Naruto's room with the two nurses from earlier. They appeared to be trying to take Hinata from him, saying she needed to be returned to her room, but when they saw the orange chakra arm flailing around they retreated back to their posts.

"Forgive me, Hiashi-sama. It was more difficult to move Hinata-sama from her room then I anticipated," Kō said.

"No apologies are necessary, Kō-san. Now if you would please set Hinata down next to Naruto-san," Hiashi instructed.

 **"You're insane! Pu** **t** **ting Hinata right in that thing** **'** **s reach?!** **Have you lost your fucking mind,** **H** **i** **ashi?!"** Tsunade screamed.

"Calm yourself, Tsunade," Hiashi finally dropped the respectful address towards Tsunade and spoke in a commanding, angry tone, having grown fed up with her constant disrespect of him. "And never insinuate that I would willingly put my daughter in harm's way in such a situation as this."

 **"I'll insinuate whatever I want! And if you continue this, I'll do a whole lot worse then throw you in a cell!"**

Hiashi was about to counter, but the orange arm extended. Everyone braced themselves and with a speed their eyes were only barely able to perceive, the arm grabbed Hinata out of Kō's arms, then started slowly retracting itself. Tsunade, Jiraiya and Kakashi all attempted to pull Hinata free, the latter two also readying a sealing tag/Sharingan genjutsu to force the Kyūbi's chakra to recede, but a second orange arm knocked them away. The arm placed Hinata on top of Naruto and as it did, Tsunade jumped at her in a final attempt to pull her away, but she was blasted away by a miniature shock wave. When she recovered, she saw that the chakra arms were gone and the Kyūbi's chakra had formed a cocoon-like barrier around Naruto and Hinata, trapping them inside.

Jiraiya was the first to pull himself back to his feet. He took a few seconds to make a visual examination of the barrier and frowned. "That's new…"

 **"H** **i** **ashi…"** Tsunade growled, clenching her fists. **"You better have a good explanation for this."**

"Hmph. For two of Naruto's closest people, who are supposed to be the world's top authorities in your fields of expertise, it astonishes me to observe how little the two of you know about Naruto's current condition," Hiashi scoffed.

 **"Get to the point, Hiashi,"** Tsunade tried to ignore the overt insult. The Hyūga head sighed before launching his explanation:

"It is simple, really. As I said earlier, Naruto-san is acting on instinct or raw desire. The black chakra in his system is reinforcing in him a strong emotional need, more like a primal need to be near Hinata. Frankly, I am not surprised that his reaction is so strong. Losing the closest thing he ever had to a mother must have been devastating for the boy. He fears that he will lose Hinata next. The barrier you see is a defense mechanism born of that fear. Once his chakra network is able to rid itself of the invasive black chakra naturally, the barrier will disperse. He will likely require extensive mental therapy afterward, but for now, no one is getting in or out of that."

"And you are okay with Hinata-chan being stuck in there as well, Hyūga-sama?" Kurenai asked in an accusatory tone.

"Why not take a look at my daughter's wounds to answer that question, Yūhi-san?" Kurenai growled but did as Hiashi suggested, and gasped when she observed that the hastily stitched cut on Hinata's face was closing, as were the rest of the wounds Danzō had inflicted on her. She could barely breathe out a "How..." upon witnessing the extraordinary feat.

"As an Uzumaki, Naruto-san inherited a special chakra which grants him a much stronger healing factor than normal shinobi have; it is the only reason he could survive having the Kyūbi sealed inside of him. We know the Kyūbi's chakra accelerates his healing factor beyond his normal limits, but at the cost of shortening his lifespan due to its corrosive nature. However, right now Naruto-san is unconsciously using an ability that is unique to him, one that negates the deadly effects of the Kyūbi's chakra." No one said anything for a brief time afterward. Hiashi was waiting on Tsunade to arrive to the conclusion he had already reached.

"You mean that Naruto-kun can use the Kyūbi's chakra to heal others?" Kurenai, not Tsunade, asked the question.

"Affirmative. I believe the proper term to describe his ability is 'universal chakra donor,'" Hiashi said with a pointed glance at Tsunade. "Give it about a day, two at the most, and they should both be fully recovered from their physical injuries."

The room once more descended into silence. No one said anything; no one _could_ say anything. Hiashi's plans had no evident flaws at this time, discounting the very clear risk of them all unraveling if they were leaked out to the wrong people. It was clear to everyone present that the head of the Hyūga Clan had thoroughly defeated the Slug Princess in this clash of wills.

"Fine..." Tsunade finally muttered.

"Pardon me, Hokage-sama, but I cannot believe I heard you," Hiashi said, but it came out as more of a taunt.

 **"You win this round!"** Tsunade screamed. **"Take him and do what you will, I don't freaking care anymore!"**

"I am glad to hear that you have seen reason. Do not worry; Naruto-san shall be well provided for." Hiashi started to turn to leave. "I will be informed of when the chakra barrier drops to allow Naruto-san and Hinata to be relocated to my clan's estate. By no means were the Hyūga spared from the storm, but there are some buildings on the estate which have miraculously escaped the catastrophic damage which the rest of the village has sustained. It should provide a more adequate environment for their recovery and take some stress off the medics here. We are also fully prepared to provide temporary shelter for as many people in the village as possible with the resources at our disposal. The Hyūga Clan will go above and beyond to assist in Konoha's recovery efforts, Hokage-sama. You just have to allow us to do so." And with that, he walked away with a sense of satisfaction, knowing that the plan was in motion and was truly beginning to flourish.

"You can't be serious, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi said while Hiashi took his leave and Kō and Neji followed. "Regardless of his plans to reform his clan, we both know Hiashi is going to exploit Naruto and—"

 **"And** _ **what,**_ **Kakashi** **?! In** **just a few hours** **I let the whole village get torn from the ground,** **my best medics are either dead, missing or otherwise incapacitated,** **and just now H** **i** **ashi** **has** **shown he is far more capable of taking care of Naruto th** **a** **n anyone else in this room.** _ **What would you have me do?!"**_ Tsunade went off on the Copy Ninja.

There was no possible answer anyone there could offer that would have any chance of appeasing Tsunade as she completely broke down.

x-x

The ethereal doorway Dark Naruto had opened back in Konoha during its destruction led him and his captives to a specific location in Nami no Kuni (the Land of Waves). Said location being the former hideout of the deceased Kirigakure missing-nin and member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Zabuza Momochi.

Locating Zabuza's hideout in Wave had involved some difficulty. Dark Naruto reasoned that the best areas to search would be those where fog and mist accumulated more frequently and lingered longer than normal. This would have placed the hideout somewhere close to the coastline, while still concealed in a forested area. Upon locating the hideout, Dark Naruto decided it required an extreme makeover. In its present state, it was run-down and lacked virtually all of the utilities required for even a basic home. It only had a single mattress in a circular room which was more of a lookout post than a bedroom, and a well outside. The best description he could attach to the hideout was "unfit for a queen".

For a few brief moments, the yōkai reminisced over his encounters with Zabuza and the fake hunter-nin who'd traveled alongside him, Haku. He recalled Haku's words to him on the day they spoke in the meadow, while Haku was gathering herbs for Zabuza. _You said you wanted to become the best ninja in your village and have everyone acknowledge you. Now, if someone who acknowledged you from the bottom of their heart appeared, wouldn't that someone become the most important person to you?_ Dark Naruto believed he had already known, even back then, that Hinata was that special person while his light half was too busy suppressing his feelings.

Sighing, Dark Naruto laid Yuzuki down on the mattress while his clones bound the still-unconscious kunoichi trio's hands and legs with cuffs formed from their black chakra. The Six Paths chakra possessed by Hagoromo granted the yōkai the innate ability to instinctively grasp the nature of chakra. He had quickly applied this knowledge to take his shape manipulation to the maximum level, employing it in various barrier ninjutsu. But he had also discovered that the reacquisition of the Six Paths chakra granted him another ability, one he had not possessed in the previous timeline:

The ability to create form from nothingness.

Dark Naruto weaved a complex series of hand signs to initiate the renovations to Zabuza's hideout, which he would commandeer and make his own. The first task was to erect his barrier ninjutsu around the entire hideout, preventing all unauthorized entry or exit. Then he began applying the Creation of All Things to beautify the hideout itself, starting with the "lookout post" which was to become the master bedroom. In a flash, all of the walls in that room were repaired and transformed, now glowing a white-gold color compared to the original dark green. Several windowpanes were added, the glass specially tinted in a way that would prohibit anyone outside from looking in, while he and Yuzuki would still have a perfect view of the outside. Next, he carefully transformed Yuzuki's bed, replacing it with a much more comfortable mattress that would help her sleep better. Satisfied with the improvements to this room, he then walked outside onto one of the two boardwalks jetting out from the bedroom and used his chakra to transform it into a hallway, while also adding a second bedroom which would be where Yuzuki's handmaidens would stay. As he did this, his chakra also transformed the other side of the hideout's upper level, creating a large bathroom complete with a tub big enough for four people to relax. This was because Yuzuki would, to his distaste, need to share the room with her handmaidens. As an afterthought, he added a pair of walkways running along the outside of the master bedroom, so the handmaidens would be able to use the bathroom without disturbing Yuzuki.

For a few moments afterward, the yōkai stopped, since the creation/renovation of these rooms reminded him of his nightmares from his past life. Thankfully for him, Dark Naruto's new form came with yet another benefit: he did not require sleep. The horrors he'd experienced in his past life were more than enough to last through multiple lifetimes, and some of what he'd seen would be impossible for even Yuzuki to dispel from his mind.

With these rooms finished, Dark Naruto set on the third task: setting up electricity and flowing water for the hideout. Part of him regretted the lack of foresight involved when he'd made his younger self acquire the chakra orbs off the black market at Sora-Ku. He would need to use one of the orbs as a generator to provide electricity for the hideout. That aside, creating the necessary wiring and piping proved to be...surprisingly less difficult than he thought. Yes, it was taxing on his chakra despite the infinite regeneration his new form possessed, but the fact he'd even been able to do it at all confirmed to him that he had retained and even increased his knowledge during his transcendence.

That left the last, and most important task. Dark Naruto had studied the Melebihi ritual thoroughly in his afterlife and decided right away that the risks involved with the old rites were too great to even attempt to perform them as they were. He would not, could not, jeopardize Yuzuki's well-being under any circumstances. Thus, a more scientific approach was required to bypass some of the ritual's specific demands.

The yōkai walked to the ground level of the hideout, where only a single room would be created for now. In the center of the room, he molded his chakra to create another large mattress. Then, summoning all of his supernaturally acquired knowledge, he created a large, complex machine next to the bed that had several arms, a display to monitor vital signs, and other various tools. The machine was designed with the express purpose of ensuring the success of Yuzuki's transformation. Around the machine, he placed the nine chakra orbs which he had taken back from Tsunade by breaking into the safe room where all things forbidden were kept locked away. While the orbs had originally been designed to function as large batteries, his intent was for them to serve as a conduit through which the chakra of the tailed beasts would be transferred into Yuzuki. That was the key difference between Madara and Obito's fūinjutsu and Yuzuki's transformation: the ritual would not merely grant his queen new powers, it would make her truly immortal. Instead of sealing the bijū into Yuzuki, their chakra would be absorbed into the orbs and then would fuse with hers. This would ultimately also accomplish a feat no one had ever been able to achieve: the permanent destruction of the bijū.

With this last, most important room finished, Dark Naruto walked outside and applied a seal to the room that would prevent all entry from anyone besides himself and Yuzuki. He then sighed deeply. Despite his best efforts to beautify the hideout, the surrounding area was just too gloomy and dark to sustain his goddess of light. He wanted another place, a special place just for her, somewhere she could truly call her sanctuary. Well, _their_ sanctuary, since he had no intention of ever leaving her side again. He just had to convince her that everything he was doing was for her sake, and that it was also all for the greater good.

All of these thoughts abruptly ended when his fox ears picked up a certain sound. The three kunoichi he'd abducted from Konoha were starting to come to. Which meant it was time to perform his next, and most annoying, duty.

x-x

 **"I see you're awake,"** Dark Naruto addressed the three bound kunoichi.

There was no reply from any of them. Their only reaction was intense fear and a vain attempt to distance themselves from him. But could he blame them for that reaction? Dark Naruto had managed to induce fear in Kakuzu while still having most of his power sealed away and being forced to use his younger self as a vessel, so to him, it was miraculous that Sakura, Ino and Tenten had not already passed out simply from being in his presence.

The yōkai walked over to the mattress where Yuzuki was resting. **"** **You** **must be wondering two things. Why you're not dead, and more importantly, why I brought you here. Well..."** he paused for a moment to play with a few locks of Yuzuki's hair, **"those two questions have the same answer."**

"Get away from Yuzuki!" Sakura yelled, her fear of the yokai changing to disgust with his faux affectionate behavior towards Yuzuki. Dark Naruto immediately fixed a glare on her, but to Sakura's credit, she met his gaze with sheer force of will and stared him down.

 **"Sakura, are you really so caught up in your delusions that you still believe you have any right or authority to tell me what I can or cannot do?"** For a few brief moments, Sakura was rendered speechless by the tone of his voice, the power he exuded in his speech. How and why he had this effect on her, she did not know, nor did she have the time to find out. Right now, she had to do something, anything, to separate him from Yuzuki.

"I swear to God, if you touch Yuzuki I'll—"

 **"Do what, exactly? Your village is in ruins, your Kage and elite j** **ō** **nin defeated and your ci** **vilians** **, provided any are still alive, are at the mercy of the buzzards. All of which was done by my hand, so tell me, Sakura** _ **-chan**_ _ **,**_ **what could you possibly do to me?"** Dark Naruto asked. But rather than receive another protest from Sakura, he heard an almost deranged laughter from Ino. **"You find this funny?"**

"In a way, yes!" Ino shouted. "You really don't understand just what you've done!"

"Yuzuki-san is precious to Naruto!" Tenten clarified. "If you kill her, he will stop at nothing to destroy you!"

Dark Naruto scoffed. How typically arrogant of these mortals, to accuse him of a lack of understanding when it was they who could not understand. **"Kill her? Why would I kill Yuzuki? Hmm...I guess I'd better start with that first..."** he muttered as he stood and formed a one-handed Ram seal with his left hand. **"Shadow Clone Jutsu,"** he whispered, spawning three clones which appeared directly behind the three bound kunoichi. **"Now watch closely,"** he commanded the girls while his clones forced them into a kneeling position and gripped the back of their necks, not hard enough to choke, but hard enough to force them to focus on him. With their attention on him, he sat down on the edge of the mattress and lifted up the hood of his cloak, and was met with three loud gasps from his captives when his face was revealed.

Of the three, only Sakura seemed to get a sense of déjà vu from looking at the yōkai's face. There was something familiar about his appearance to her, even if his features were abnormal. For Sakura, seeing him was just like the first time she met Yuzuki, in that something was just off. But the feeling ended abruptly when she saw the yōkai shift his body so that his left side was facing her, then pulled Yuzuki's limp body towards him. The yōkai drew Yuzuki into his embrace, using his right hand to support her lower back while his left hand rested on her upper back.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sakura screamed.

"Get your hands off her!" Ino yelled.

"Weren't you listening to—" Tenten tried to protest, but was rendered speechless by the demon's next action, something that, in retrospect, she should have seen coming.

Dark Naruto leaned forward and closed his eyes, and pressed his lips against Yuzuki's, locking her into a slow, heated kiss. All three of the bound kunoichi froze when they witnessed this violation, and were left in even greater shock when they heard Yuzuki react by moaning into the demon's mouth. The next several seconds seemed like an eternity for Sakura, Ino and Tenten as they found themselves staring blankly, their jaws dropping at the sight which left them completely dumbfounded. Eventually, Sakura forced herself to break the silence, but even then, she could do little more than whisper when she demanded, "What the fuck is going on...?"

Sakura's whisper snapped Tenten out of her shock, but Tenten's response was almost deafening. "I should have known! You're just some run-of-the-mill pervert! That's why you kept us alive! Well I got news for you buddy, I'd sooner kill myself than let you use me as a sex slave!"

Dark Naruto ended the kiss and laid Yuzuki back down before replying to Tenten's accusation, **"How grotesque and arrogant of you. Do you actually believe any of you could satisfy me? Pathetic, lowly, tainted mortals who do not possess a single drop of purity in your fragile bodies."**

If the circumstances were different, Tenten and the other girls might have been relieved and perhaps secretly a little insulted that they were not desired in that way. Instead they were further enraged. "So you destroyed an entire village and murdered thousands of innocent people for what? Just so you could have your fun with Yuzuki like some beast? And what's so special about her?"

Dark Naruto walked over to Tenten, lifted her chin, and roughly moved her head from side to side, almost like she was a guinea pig to be examined. **"Your ignorance coupled with your arrogance and naivety are why you would never be able to satisfy me. Yuzuki is far above you, she is a goddess trapped in her mortal coil. When she is released and exalted, you will worship her as I do."**

Sakura squirmed against her binds. This demonic entity was far beyond the point of insanity. _'None of this is making any sense. He says he doesn't plan to rape us,_ _and hasn't given any indication that he wants to_ _hold us for ransom. But_ _then_ _why the fuck did he kiss Yuzuki like that? It was almost...gentle…'_ There was a part of Sakura that wanted to believe this demon had no intention of doing Yuzuki any harm. The pinkette thought she could feel the demon's emotions and how they changed when the subject shifted to their fellow captive.

"Tell us what you want!" Sakura demanded.

Dark Naruto looked over to her and grinned. **"Oh have you not figured it out yet, Sakura** _ **-chan?"**_ he said sarcastically.

Sakura stopped. There was something in the demon's voice that just seemed...off. Something she couldn't put her finger on. The way he had just addressed her caused another spark in her curiosity. One way or another, she had to get to the bottom of this. "Who the hell are you?"

 **"Let me answer that question with one of my own. Why do you think Yuzuki's DNA sample was identical to Hinata's?"**

Sakura shook her head in exasperation. At this point, she was not surprised at all to hear that he knew about that. Clearly he had done some sort of surveillance on the village before his attack. "There aren't many valid conclusions. The one Tsunade-sama reached was that Yuzuki is some sort of clone. I can't even begin to fathom what else it might be, myself."

 **"She does have all the same qualities of a clone doesn't she? Almost like the real thing wouldn't you say? Even more so than a Shadow Clone."**

The three girls could tell he was hinting at something but could not figure out what. Dark Naruto sighed and shook his head. **"Oh well.** **Guess there's no point** **in keeping it hidden any longer. Yuzuki is Hinata. She came here from about seven years in the future."**

"No fucking way!"/"What a load of bullshit!" Ino and Tenten instantly and vehemently denied the demon's statement.

Sakura, however, did not dismiss it right away. "When I think about it, it's the only explanation that actually makes sense," she thought aloud. "No clone jutsu I'm aware of is capable of making a clone with an actual human lifespan or one that can replenish its own chakra network. What's more, Yuzuki didn't appear to be showing any signs of fatigue. As ridiculous as the demon's claim is, it would certainly explain the strange things surrounding Yuzuki and why she was attracted to Naruto...wait a second…" Sakura remembered how before they got separated Naruto had been acting very protective of Hinata: holding her, caressing her. She also thought on how Naruto had been going out of his way to spend as much time with Hinata as possible over the past few months. She did not need Ino's gossip to know that Naruto had finally realized and reciprocated Hinata's feelings. "But if that's the case, then—"

 **"Bingo."** Dark Naruto was now showing off his signature grin to the three captive kunoichi, a grin which struck them as being all too sinister. **"I am Naruto."**

x-x

Yuzuki awakened to intense feelings of soreness. It felt like every muscle in her body was in pain. What she had done in that fight, calling on all of her enhanced chakra reserves like that, was something she had never before attempted, at least not with the sheer volume of chakra involved. It only figured that she would be paying the price for it now.

She tried to push herself up, but a set of hands gently pushed her back down. Confused, Yuzuki tried to clear her vision so she could see what was keeping her down, and the first thing she made out was a green light hovering over her lower body, followed by a red and pink blur. The pain in her legs was starting to subside, and the sensation of relief allowed her weary mind to register the identity of the blur.

"Sakura-chan?" Yuzuki asked, her voice weak. She was about to ask where she was when her vision came fully back into focus and she noticed that both her forearms were wrapped in bandages and there was blood seeping through. Sakura's clothing had some minor tears, but her forearms were clearly too badly injured. They were severe enough that Sakura shouldn't even be able to use any jutsu. So then why was Sakura focusing on healing her despite those injuries? "Sakura-chan, why are you—"

"Not now, Yuzuki-san," Sakura interrupted. "I was ordered to treat you first and make sure your injuries were healed before attending to my own."

That didn't make sense. Tsunade would have made sure Sakura's injuries were treated before Sakura was allowed to treat others. Then again, Tsunade had also tried to have her detained...

"We're not in Konoha, Yuzuki-san," Sakura continued, seemingly reading her patient's mind. "We're...in a bit of a situation here," she said a little too delicately.

"'Situation' doesn't even _begin_ to cover it, Billboard," Ino, who was standing off towards the side, snapped at and corrected her best friend/romantic rival.

"Now isn't the time for our usual bickering, Pig!" Sakura snapped back at Ino.

"Well, excuse me for not wanting to pussyfoot around the issue!"

Yuzuki nearly shut down as she examined her surroundings. The bedroom she was in was completely surrounded by windows, yet the glass was tinted and she could tell the windows had been designed to prevent anyone on the outside from looking in. The walls and ceiling shone a brilliant white-gold, and the mattress she was on appeared to be made of only the most comfortable and most expensive material. This room alone was opulent to the point that it reeked of decadence. If this was just the bedroom...then what was the rest of the place like...?

"Yuzuki-san?" Sakura waved a hand in front of her, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Are you able to walk?" Yuzuki slowly tried to push herself up out of bed, but was still in evident pain. She couldn't even take two steps without stumbling, she was still so weak from her ordeals last night. "Easy, easy," Sakura said, moving over to her quickly to act as a support. "Ino-chan, help me with Yuzuki!" She thought she heard Ino grumble a choice word or two under her breath as she came over to help Sakura lift Yuzuki to her feet and carry her.

"I-Ino-chan?" Yuzuki stammered as she was carried out of the bedroom and towards a hallway to her left. "What's going on?"

"First off, you don't have to address us like we're younger than you," Sakura said. "We know the truth now, or at least part of it. We know who you are...Hinata."

Yuzuki's mind went completely blank for a few moments. "H-How did you..."

"That thing that brought us here told us. Ino-chan and Tenten-san still don't believe it, but it all makes sense now. The DNA tests, Tsunade's suspicions, everything. But it's still crazy. Time travel's supposed to be a hoax, after all."

 _'I once thought the same,'_ Yuzuki did not say.

"Anyway..." Ino said, "we need to get you cleaned up. I'm sure a nice, long bath should help ease your pain, Yuzuki-san."

"Um...thank you, Ino...san, Sakura-san," Yuzuki replied with slight difficulty. "But...what about..."

"We'll figure something out," Sakura said, sparing Yuzuki the embarrassment. Both she and Ino knew Yuzuki was referring to her clothes, which were so badly stained and torn apart that they would have to be discarded as soon as they were taken off. Yuzuki nodded, grateful that her past self's friends were still willing to go so far for her after learning the truth of her existence in this timeline.

"Tenten-san, is the bath ready?" Sakura called out.

"Just about," Tenten's voice answered from behind a door at the end of the short hallway. Then the door opened and Tenten helped Yuzuki out of Sakura and Ino's arms and onto a short golden stool that was positioned right next to a pair of shower heads.

Yuzuki was unable to protest as Sakura and Ino stripped her down and turned on the shower. Ino held the shower head while Sakura lathered Yuzuki's hair and back with a small container of shampoo that had been inside one of the many storage scrolls Tenten always kept on hand. As the gentle stream of water pelted Yuzuki and washed away the grime and blood, she couldn't help but still wonder why she was receiving so much help from the other girls. Her entire existence in this timeline had been a lie, crafted as carefully as possible, but now her cover was completely blown, and while she knew they were doing their duty...

"Sakura-san...?" Yuzuki asked. "Why are you doing this for me?"

 **"They are following my instructions,"** Dark Naruto's voice rang in all their minds before Sakura could answer. Moments later, the yōkai shimmered into view and leaned against the door. Sakura, Ino and Tenten took up positions in front of Yuzuki that would shield her naked body from his eyes.

"Don't you have any shame?!" Ino shouted at the yōkai.

 **"Am I not allowed to look upon that which is mine?"** Dark Naruto asked. He thought the question was rhetorical, but naturally, the others wouldn't agree.

"You act as if Yuzuki is your belonging!" Tenten yelled.

Dark Naruto had grown tired of Tenten's constant backtalking. He silently weaved a single hand sign and flared his chakra, and Tenten howled in pain. Yuzuki could make out a seal similar to the juinjutsu Danzō had used on her on the back of Tenten's neck. **"Know your place, foolish girl. You will not address Yuzuki in such a manner. You are only to address her as Jōō Heika (Her Majesty the Queen), understood?"**

"They will not be made to do any such thing, Naruto-kun," Yuzuki snapped at Dark Naruto, covering herself with a large towel and stepping in front of Tenten. "You will stop this now." Instantly, Dark Naruto released the seal on Tenten and she fell to her knees, rubbing her neck and moaning in pain.

 **"You're quite lucky Yuzuki was here, Tenten. I might not have stopped if she hadn't told me to,"** Dark Naruto scowled. He, Yuzuki and Tenten appeared to be locked in a standoff.

"That thing is not Naruto," Sakura muttered under her breath. Instantly, the yōkai spun around to face her.

 **"I heard that. Just so you know, I am more Naruto then what you used to know ever was."**

"Naruto would never attack the village or keep us locked up here!" Ino yelled. Yuzuki gasped and took an involuntary step backwards; what was going on? What did Ino mean by that? Why was she accusing Naruto of attacking Konoha and taking them prisoner?

 **"Who said I'm keeping you locked up here? I merely needed you to heal Yuzuki. If she allows it, I'll release you right now."** The three girls' eyes all widened at the same time after hearing that claim. Did this demon not know how hostage situations worked?

"Then why did you take all of us if you only needed Sakura-chan?" Ino asked.

 **"It's simple. I have a lot of work to do and as much as I would like to be with Yuzuki myself, I just do not have the time at the moment. She'll probably be quite lonely while I'm away, so I brought you here to keep her company. It's for that very reason that I have no issues in releasing you if Yuzuki asks it of me. However you must ask yourself, what kind of friend would you be to leave her all alone with someone like me?"**

"So you'll release us but not her?! What kind of deal is that?!" Sakura demanded.

 **"I expected you of all people to understand, Sakura** _ **-chan,"**_ Dark Naruto said sarcastically. **"It doesn't matter though, the point is I already know you won't leave Yuzuki here all alone."**

"You're horrible…" Ino whispered.

 **"It takes a village to raise a child, or in my case, to turn said child into a monster,"** Dark Naruto dismissed Ino's accusations. **"I shall return later. If I find that Yuzuki's injuries have not been fully healed by the time I returned, she will not be able to stop me from punishing you. Are we clear?"**

"Don't leave, Naruto-kun! Not until you tell me what's going on!" Yuzuki yelled at Dark Naruto, but her voice went unheard by the demon. He had already vanished in a burst of black chakra.

"Damn it," Tenten growled. "What do we do now?"

Ino didn't even take a single second to think on her answer. "I say we make a run for it," she suggested.

"And leave Yuzuki-san here? That's exactly what Naruto wants."

"Weren't either of you listening to me when I said that thing is not Naruto?!" Sakura screamed in Ino and Tenten's ears. "Did you already forget how he ravaged our village and killed all those people?! Was I the only one here who saw it?! Naruto would never—"

"Wha-what?"

Sakura stopped mid-rant when she heard the small and hurt voice of Yuzuki. She turned around and part of her regretted her angry words, even if they needed to be said. The look on Yuzuki's face was one of disbelief.

"Naruto-kun did what?" Yuzuki asked again. Sakura, Ino and Tenten did not know how to respond. After learning the truth about Yuzuki, they imagined that she would have reacted in the same way their Hinata would. But the look on her face spoke volumes of their error.

"Yuzuki-san..."

"No!" Yuzuki vehemently denied Sakura. "Naruto-kun would never do that, Sakura-san! That can't be what happened at all! He was protecting me from Danzō!"

 _'Something is definitely wrong here,'_ Sakura silently observed. _'The Hinata I know would never condone any violent behavior from Naruto, much less defend it.'_

"Uh, Yuzuki-san, you see—" Ino tried to explain, with about as much success as Sakura before she was also interrupted.

"No, no, no! It's not true, it can't be true! It just can't!" Yuzuki wailed.

"Yuzuki-san…" Sakura said gently, putting her hand on Yuzuki's shoulder. "I know this is a lot to take in right now but that is _not_ Naruto. You are right after all, Naruto would never do those things."

"You don't understand, Sakura-san. That _is_ Naruto-kun, _my_ Naruto-kun. He came back to me, he was going to stay by my side...he...he..." The emotional and information overload was too much for Yuzuki and she curled her legs to her face and started crying loudly.

The three girls were at a loss of how to respond. In a sense, what Yuzuki said was true: they did not understand what was going on. And their lack of understanding all started with how Hinata could be here with them and older than them, while still being in the village at the same time, without using any kind of jutsu whatsoever.

"Yuzuki-san," Ino said softly. Yuzuki stopped crying for the moment, holding back sniffles as she tried to listen. "I know it's hard, but we need you to explain what's going on. We can't help you or Naruto if you don't."

Yuzuki nodded and stepped into the tub, letting the other girls tend to her while she started to tell them her long and terrible story, beginning with the day when everything was ruined...

x-x

Two hours after the confrontation in the hospital, Hiashi briefly stopped at the large tent set up close to where the Hokage Tower once stood, requesting permission to have Kō and a few Branch House Hyūga relocate Naruto and Hinata from the maximum security ward of the hospital to his clan's estate. Hiashi felt that due to the extreme work load placed on the Medic Corps, he could not afford to wait two days for the move. Jiraiya, Kakashi and Kurenai looked at the situation with dismay, while a Medic Corps captain who was present openly protested. However, Tsunade—who was draped in a cloak and having evident difficulty sitting down—just ignored their negativity and dismissed Hiashi with a wave and a long swig of her saké bottle.

Once Hiashi left, Kakashi was quick to stare down Tsunade, giving her one of the nastiest, sternest looks anyone had ever seen from the Copy Ninja.

"Are you just going to give me a death stare until I keel over?" Tsunade asked.

"I can't say the thought isn't tempting," Kakashi shot back.

"This doesn't even concern you Kakashi, it's not as if Naruto will be reassigned to another team."

"Oh now of course not, and it's not like Hyūga-sama won't brainwash him with who knows what either," the Copy Ninja drawled, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Like I told Jiraiya back at the hospital, if you have any better ideas I'm just dying to hear them."

"Alright that's enough, you two," Jiraiya said sternly. "We'll discuss the matter of Naruto's living arrangements later. Personally I think you two are overreacting to Hiashi-san's power play, but if it's really that big of an issue, just assign some Anbu to keep the Hyūga Clan under surveillance once you can spare them. The more pressing matter at hand is locating the demon that leveled this village."

"Was it a new member of Akatsuki?" Kurenai wondered. She had been among the first ninja who were forced to take shelter underground when the storm was created, and so she had not had a chance to catch a glimpse of the demonic entity responsible for Konoha's destruction.

"That accusation is painfully off the mark," a new voice said. A few seconds later, Shikamaru entered the tent, accompanied by a trio of unfamiliar ninja, two female and one male, whose uniforms and forehead protectors marked them as belonging to Kumogakure no Sato (the Village Hidden by Clouds).

"To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit on this shitty morning?" Tsunade spat.

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, we are here on important business but we may be able to spare time to help you locate the one responsible for destroying your village, so if you could please spare us the melodrama and hear us out," one of the kunoichi said as she stepped forward, arms crossed under her massive breasts whose size rivaled Tsunade's while the Slug Princess was under her unique Transformation.

"That wasn't the best reply you could have offered Hokage-sama, Samui-san," Shikamaru groaned, rubbing his forehead. "So troublesome..." he added under his breath.

 **"You'll have to forgive me for my foul mood, Samui-san,"** Tsunade angrily told the now-identified Samui, **"but you have seen the present state of Konoha. Over seventy percent of my villagers are either dead or unaccounted for. So no, I don't think I'll spare you the melodrama."** Then she abruptly stood up and slammed her hands against the table in her tent, causing her cloak to fall off. Everyone there, except Jiraiya and the Medic Corps captain, gasped when they saw Tsunade's current condition.

The Transformation Jutsu that Tsunade used constantly to appear younger had dispelled due to severe chakra exhaustion. She now looked and felt every bit as old as her actual age. Her hair had changed from blonde to gray, her skin was heavily wrinkled, and her breasts had shrunk dramatically. Tsunade clearly appeared frail, and it was quite fitting considering the calamity that had befallen Konoha.

"Ahem," Samui cleared her throat, quickly ending the uncomfortable silence that was setting in as a result of Tsunade's outburst. "As I was saying, there is no chance that your attacker could have belonged to Akatsuki. Raikage-sama has also been keeping track of the Akatsuki's movements throughout the Elemental Nations, and there have been no sightings of them or any parties associated with them near Konoha during the past month."

"My own spy network can confirm that assertion," Jiraiya added as he helped Tsunade sit back down and replaced the cloak over her body. "Akatsuki have been unusually active over this past month, but their activity in the Land of Fire is almost nonexistent. That worries me greatly."

"What was your attacker wearing, Hokage-sama?" the male Kumo ninja spoke up, not giving Jiraiya's words any time to sink in. Unlike Samui, he was dark-skinned (though Samui's lighter pigmentation was somewhat of a rarity in Kumo) and had spiky white hair, and even as he spoke he was sucking on a lollipop.

"It was some sort of gold cloak with black patterns woven into it that I couldn't recognize," Tsunade answered.

"Definitely not the Akatsuki's usual fashion statement," the third member of the Kumo team, also dark-skinned but with red hair, commented.

"Omoi, Karui, stay silent," Samui commanded with an icy tone.

"Samui-san," Kurenai spoke up, "I believe you have yet to explain the reason for your presence here."

"Right. I mentioned earlier that this was strictly a business trip for me and my underlings. I'm afraid the reason for this trip is rather dire."

"If that isn't the biggest understatement of the new year," Shikamaru wryly commented. "Apparently the Hachibi jinchūriki, Killer Bee, disappeared several days ago. Samui-san explained that Killer Bee is known for trying to sneak out of his village from time to time, but when he sneaked out this time, he had the misfortune of running into the Akatsuki. Kumo ninja attempted to track him down only to find evidence of a large-scale battle a few kilometers outside of their village."

Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi and Kurenai all expressed great shock at what Shikamaru revealed. Killer Bee was one of the most fearsome shinobi in the Elemental Nations, and among Kumo shinobi only the Fourth Raikage himself was strong enough to face him in battle. To hear that he had fallen in battle against the Akatsuki was more than sobering.

"That brings up another difference between the Akatsuki and our attacker," Shikamaru continued. "The gold-cloaked demon had every opportunity to capture our jinchūriki. But he didn't."

"Sounds to me like you have absolutely no idea what this demon was after," Karui commented. Samui shot her a warning glare and she sank into herself. However, a few seconds later everyone there noticed that Kakashi was twitching and staring off into nowhere, and focused their undivided attention on him and his uncharacteristic behavior.

"Kakashi," Jiraiya said, "do you know something?"

"Perhaps I can help Kakashi-san answer that," a new voice said. Its owner, a certain pale-skinned, midriff-exposing teen, entered the tent a second later.

"Well, I for one am both surprised and relieved to see that you're not dead, Sai," Kakashi said.

"Thank you for your concern, Kakashi-san," Sai answered, giving Kakashi a smile that was so fake it made Kurenai, Tsunade and the three Kumo-nin shudder. They all felt right away that something was wrong with him.

"And who might you be?" Tsunade asked. She didn't recognize Sai at all.

"My call sign is Sai, Hokage-sama. I do not remember what my name was before I was recruited by the Foundation."

Tsunade growled and gripped her saké bottle hard enough to make it shatter. **"You were in Root?"** she said angrily; she was far from being ready to let go of the anger she still held towards Danzō and his illegal Anbu sub-division for their murder of Shizune, and she was half-tempted to order her ninja to terminate Sai immediately.

"Correct, but unlike most of the other recruits, I was already a registered shinobi before Danzō-sama approached me. Since Danzō-sama is dead, however, I do not feel any obligation to continue keeping his secrets."

"I see," Jiraiya said to Sai while gripping Tsunade's shoulder softly to try to make her calm down. "Then explain to us what you know about the demon that destroyed Konoha."

"Demon," Sai said to himself, contemplating the word. "That is certainly an apt description for what that person was, Jiraiya-sama. It had several physical features that you would not see on a normal human."

"Such as?"

"Well, I could not see his face since it was concealed under his cloak, but I could notice a pair of animal ears atop his head that the cloak could not fully hide. This demon, as you call him, also appeared to have a fox tail."

"A fox tail?" Shikamaru asked. "You're suggesting that the demon is a kitsune, but none of the abilities it used against us have ever been attributed to kitsune in the past."

"I cannot say for certain. I have no knowledge of yōkai lore." Sai shook his head. "But I did make another important observation. This demon claimed to have intimate knowledge of Kakashi-san." All eyes in the tent once more fixed on the Copy Ninja, who was still lost in thought.

"It knew you, Kakashi-san?" Jiraiya asked.

"He..." Kakashi said with great difficulty. "The demon said Obito is still alive. He claimed to know about how Rin died. He knew exactly what to say to get under my skin. Even when I could keep a level head, there was nothing I could do. All of my attacks were useless. A Lightning Blade to his heart did nothing. He also broke out of Sai's fūinjutsu with impunity. Worst of all, it wasn't even him fighting me, but a shadow clone." When he finished, everyone was giving him looks of disbelief for a few long seconds.

"It sounds like you made a powerful enemy in the past, Kakashi-san," Kurenai commented, taking her fellow jōnin's crazy words in stride.

"What you're suggesting isn't possible, Kurenai-san." Even Kakashi still did not believe his own personal account of what transpired. "Minato-sensei and I personally made sure that every ninja from Iwa or Kiri who knew about what happened on those missions was killed."

"Hokage-sama," Samui cut in, "as entertaining as this discussion is, I believe we are getting sidetracked from the purpose of our visit."

 **"What is it?"** Tsunade snapped. **"If that gorilla wants to pick a fight, tell him now is** **n'** **t the best time!"**

"Why don't you tell Raikage-sama that yourself!" Karui yelled. This time, she was slapped by Samui for her outburst.

 **"Excuse me?"**

While Samui ignored Tsunade in favor of disciplining Karui, Shikamaru stepped forward, wearing a solemn expression. "The Raikage has sent envoys to the other hidden villages. He is demanding that a Gokage Summit be convened in Tetsu no Kuni (the Land of Iron) in one week."

x-x

 **Editor's Note: Some of the readers who were lost by last chapter were quite vocal about their disapproval of where the story is headed. The change in genre tags that occurred with the last chapter also probably played a small role in the loss of readers. To be fair, both the author and myself acknowledged that there would be negative reactions once the chapter was posted, though certain reactions among them (entirely from users who are no longer following, but shall not be named here) were completely uncalled for.**

 **While this fic, in all likelihood, won't be as well received as many of the more well-known stories on this site by the time it finishes, we plan to see it through to the end, and to learn from the mistakes that have been, and probably will be made before its completion.**

 **As for this chapter...yes, Killer Bee was captured by Akatsuki off-screen. The author decided not to write that battle primarily because he believed it would be too difficult for him to write Bee's raps.**

 **Review Replies**

 **Flameraven: As much as I would like to continue the discussion of headcanons, it's getting to the point that it needs to be taken to PM. Also, your last review appears to have cut off.**

 **Yes, Dark Naruto is extremely arrogant (far more so than Canon!Naruto, who retains some of his childhood arrogance in** _ **Naruto Gaiden**_ **) and his behavior is a big part of the reason why the genre change to Tragedy was effected. Yes, it is good news for Hinata that Past!Naruto cannot be as easily influenced/controlled by his future self anymore. And that's really all I feel like I can say about that for now.**

 **Ryuujin96: I think the better power comparison would be, how does Dark Naruto stack up to the power level Naruto was at before he died in the OTL? If you compare what he has now—invulnerability (which was shown to be imperfect), Sage Mode, Six Paths chakra (but NOT any tailed beast chakra), the Uzumaki Clan's hiden techniques, enhanced Wind Release that is used with more proficiency than even Temari (Temari is stated to be the best Wind Release user in the shinobi world), shape transformation employed in barrier ninjutsu, limited use of the Creation of All Things, a transportation ability similar to Yomotsu Hirasaka (but much, much slower), and the ability to temporarily stop time for a single target (which comes with the risk of damaging the fabric of time each time he uses it)—with his power level in the Kaguya arc; while Dark Naruto in his demon form is easily S-rank, without possession of any bij** **ū chakra** **he is actually still weaker than the level Naruto reached in the OTL, even if his skillset is far more diverse.**

 **But, in regards to his past self in this timeline: if Naruto had been properly trained in canon and Jiraiya hadn't primarily focused on his jinchūriki states / patching up his basic stats / trying to make him more mature, Naruto could have potentially reached Kage level during the time skip. So I guess you could say that Demon!Naruto's power level in that chapter, minus the Six Paths abilities, weather manipulation and other demonic enhancements, is where Living Naruto's power level should have been.**

 **As for Yuzuki's feelings...yes, Yuzu** **ki** **will hate Dark Naruto for what he has done, BUT, if you recall Sakura's pep talk to Naruto in** _ **The Last,**_ **you'll know that Yuzuki can't just decide to not love him anymore, no matter how much pain her feelings will cause her to suffer. This, of course, is in opposition to the belief of Future!Naruto's light half (who did not receive the pep talk from Sakura in this story) prior to his suppression and his dark half's subsequent transformation. Unfortunately, Yuzu** **ki's** **inability to stop loving Naruto will be to her disadvantage.**

 **Hektols: Considering the situation (tornadoes ripping apart Konoha and Naruto being too stubborn to do the sensible thing and get to shelter), Sakura is somewhat right to slip back into her old ways in the second scene. It may be that behavior that got Sakura into trouble with Naruto when he was influenced by his dark half, but in Sakura's defense, Naruto was being monumentally stupid there and needlessly endangering more than just his life.**

 **NarHina: Refer to the above reply. We won't discount the possibility that Sakura may be jealous of what Naruto has with Hinata, if only because there was a scene in** _ **Sakura Hiden**_ **where Tsunade has to tell Sakura that she and Naruto could never have worked out as a couple.**

 **A/N: Hello my good readers. It is with little regret that we lost some readers last chapter. I feel I should address this. First off, no one is making you read this story. Yes, there is some OOC behavior going on in some capacity however, due to the circumstances those characters are placed in one can hardly expect anything less. I at least try to make the OOC behavior justifiable when it happens. Second, there are very few good Dark NaruHina fics on this site if any of you have noticed and I, for one, love myself a good romantic tragedy. Well, more of a supernatural tragedy in this case. If any of you have read my previous fics, I end them on a positive note most of the time (or at least try to), so don't write me off just yet. Yes, things are probably going to make some of you mad, particularly in this arc. I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say that Dark Naruto will do more than just worship Yuzuki. And again, this is Dark Naruto who, aside from his deep love for Hinata/Yuzuki is a completely separate personality from our lovable blond, so of course he would do things Naruto normally would not. And with that, I will end this note by saying thank you to all of you who keep reading despite this.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Loneliness and Hate**

Dark Naruto retreated to the Transcendence Room underneath Yuzuki's bedchamber and sat back in a chair, analyzing the information sent to him by his Shadow Clones. After he had arrived here from Konoha, the yōkai had sent out two dozen clones divided into pairs for reconnaissance, to gather intel on current events in the shinobi world and track the movements of Akatsuki in preparation for his offensive against them.

The first pair of clones was assigned to return to Konoha, using an advanced Transformation Jutsu to mask their chakra and conceal their presence. The clones were disguised as civilian survivors of the tornadic storm, and had quickly noticed the presence of Samui's team in the ruins. It wasn't hard at all to figure out why envoys from Kumo had been sent to Konoha. The Raikage was already issuing the call for a Five Kage Summit. Dark Naruto chuckled at that piece of intel.

 _ **'I guess it doesn't matter how you change the timeline,'**_ Dark Naruto mused. _ **'Some things like the Raikage's attitude don't change at all. That buffoon**_ _ **still acts first and asks questions later.'**_

From there, figuring out the reason the Raikage sent Team Samui to Konoha was also easy. It was the exact same reason they had been sent in the original timeline.

 _ **'Looks like the Akatsuki took out B-san this time,'**_ the yōkai observed as he delved deeper into the clones' memories. _**'I suppose that's for the best.'**_ Killer Bee was not one of the upcoming fights he had been looking forward to. But like all the other jinchūriki, Bee was a necessary sacrifice. And if Dark Naruto had been able to kill his light half's lingering emotions when it came to Kakashi, Bee would have been easier, had Pain not beaten him to the capture.

Yes, Pain. Another pair of clones had been sent to investigate the site of the battle where Bee fell and found evidence that Kumo's shinobi had missed, namely some tiny fragments of black chakra receivers that could only have belonged to the Rinnegan wielder. If Pain was already mobile, Dark Naruto knew it could only mean one thing: that his presence in this timeline had forced the Akatsuki to accelerate their timetable for the capture of the tailed beasts. Which was just fine with him.

The third pair of clones had been assigned to track the movements of the Zombie Combo, Hidan and Kakuzu, and set up a massive ambush. Dark Naruto was aware of Kakuzu's obsession with money and had located the bounty officer Zangei who was loyal to Kakuzu. The clone that was left behind at the station killed Zangei and used the advanced Transformation to disguise himself as the officer, and was now waiting for Kakuzu to return to the station to collect the five million ryō bounty on Utakata, after the Akatsuki finished extracting Saiken. _**'It'll take those two some time to re-emerge from their hideout, though,'**_ he noted, _**'so I can take my time dealing with them.'**_

No information had been sent back from the other nine pairs yet. Meaning that, much to his dismay, they had not located any additional Akatsuki teams or jinchūriki. But knowing where Hidan and Kakuzu would be in the near future was enough. From there, he would get all the remaining information he needed to swiftly and brutally crush the Akatsuki. So for now, the other clones continued their mission, waiting at various locations for their objectives.

There was one other thing that bothered him, though, and that was his continued failure to locate Orochimaru, Kabuto and Sasuke. Dark Naruto had only been at one of the Snake Sannin's hideouts in the original timeline, and investigations of that hideout confirmed that the trio of traitors wasn't there yet. And probably would not be there at all, once they realized that the hideout had been discovered. As for how he felt about the three traitors and their importance...Dark Naruto could care less about Sasuke. For all the contempt in which he held the last Uchiha, Sasuke was irrelevant in the grander scheme of things. Orochimaru and Kabuto were the real targets. The yōkai needed them to access the Uzumaki Clan's Mask Storage Temple and release the Reaper Death Seal which imprisoned the souls of the dead Hokages, so the Impure World Reincarnation could be used to summon Minato to this realm. Extracting the Yang half of Kurama from his younger self for the ritual was absolutely not an option; Dark Naruto had only barely survived the extraction in the original timeline, and that was only because the Yin half had been transferred to him in time. And since Minato had the Yin half sealed with him, the yōkai had no choice but to have him released from the Shinigami's stomach.

The thought of his dead father made him stop for a moment.

 _ **'No, Minato isn't my father. He's just a failure.'**_ The yōkai shook his head and with it, cast off his association with the Fourth Hokage. _**'He couldn't protect K**_ _ **ushina**_ _ **from Obito or Kurama. He couldn't protect me from enduring the scorn of his village. He did everything wrong on the night of my birth. Giving up his half of Kurama for Yuzuki will be the only thing he ever did right.'**_

For a brief moment, he contemplated how his parents would react to what he had become. But what did he care? What right did they have to voice their stance? They were never there for him and only served to function as yet another one of his despicable light half's many weaknesses.

"So, you would even turn your back on your biological family?" an all too familiar and scornful voice asked. Dark Naruto didn't even bother turning around to look; it only figured that Hagoromo could not leave things well enough alone and was now levitating right behind him.

 **"This coming from the man who sealed his own mother inside the moon? Hypocrite alert!"** Dark Naruto snarled. His vitriolic response earned a scoff from the transcended Sage.

"Still living in denial, still twisting the truth. We both know the circumstances which led to the loss of our mothers were not the same."

 **"Kaguya was only ever acting in what she believed was the best way to maintain peace. That's exactly, and all I am doing for Yuzuki, giving her the means to** **bring** **peace."** Dark Naruto sighed after that proclamation; even he knew that no matter how he tried to justify his actions, what he was doing now and planning to do to achieve his goals was unforgivable. **"** **Don't bother with the lecture.** **Whether it's right or wrong doesn't matter. I will do whatever it takes to give Yuzuki everything that was denied to me in my past life."**

"Mother was corrupted by the power of the chakra fruit," Hagoromo reminded Dark Naruto. "She ceased to be human and transformed into a force of nature that would have destroyed the human species had she not been subdued. And before you say it will be different this time, let me tell you this. Mother was once similar to Yuzuki in many ways before she consumed the fruit of the Shinju. So tell me, Yami Naruto. Is this the price you are willing to pay in your self-proclaimed pursuit of peace? Would you desire to corrupt your soul mate with the power of the bijū just as Mother was corrupted by the Shinju's forbidden fruit?"

 **"** **How dare you make that accusation** **!"** Dark Naruto howled. **"Yuzuki** **'s spirit is stronger than Kaguya's! She** **won't succumb to this power like Kaguya did!"**

Hagoromo scoffed again at Dark Naruto's denial. "Your transformation has amplified your arrogance. If we are to go off the assumption that you are correct about Yuzuki and she does not lose herself like Mother did, this path will ensure that Yuzuki rejects you for all eternity. Would you continue down this path, knowing full well you will end up alone and forgotten?"

The yōkai quietly laughed to himself. **"I was always alone, Rikudō-ojii-sama. There is no pain that this world can inflict on me which I have not already suffered. I've already resigned myself to the fact that Yuzuki will hate me. If I can endure her hatred, what** **'** **s the hatred of a few more of my** **former** **precious people, or the rest of the world for that matter?"**

It was Hagoromo's turn to sigh as he shook his shakujō at the yōkai. "Your resignation to this fate is futile. All of your plans are built on the assumption that Yuzuki will even allow you to walk down this path in the first place."

Only after hearing that did Dark Naruto give Hagoromo his full attention. **"And what** **the hell** **is** _ **that**_ **supposed to mean?"** he snarled, knocking his chair over as he spun around to face the Sage.

"You will find out soon enough." And with that, Hagoromo vanished.

Dark Naruto scowled. He didn't like what the Sage of Six Paths was trying to tell him. When all was said and done, Yuzuki would no longer have any reason to associate herself with him. He would only be a ghost to her, watching from the shadows while she enjoyed an eternity of peace and tranquility in this world. It was his turn to be her silent guardian, as she had been for him. So then what was the warning the Sage tried to issue to him this time? What did Hagoromo mean when he implied that Yuzuki would not let him usher in the dawn of utopia?

 _ **'It doesn't matter right now,'**_ Dark Naruto resolved. _**'There**_ _ **are**_ _ **more important matters to address, like a certain pair of immortals who are unworthy of their title.'**_ With that, the ethereal doorway opened once more, and the darkness swallowed him.

x-x

Yuzuki sat on her bed, pressing her face against her legs. With her regular clothes destroyed, she was forced to wear a white nightgown and lavender bathrobe which had appeared outside the bathroom shortly after Dark Naruto left. She was lost in her thoughts, and she wasn't the only one. Sakura was busying herself with attending to her own injuries, which took a great amount of effort considering the yōkai had forced her to overexert herself healing Yuzuki's wounds, a fact for which Yuzuki apologized. Tenten and Ino had apparently found that staring at the couch on the opposite end of the bedchamber was the best way to pass the time. None of the three "handmaidens," as Dark Naruto had taken to calling them, had any idea what they were supposed to say or do.

"So all of this happened because Naruto died?" Ino wondered aloud, breaking the uncomfortable silence. After hearing the tragedy of Yuzuki's life, how could she not be quieted by the time traveler's immense grief and sorrow? What could she have possibly said that would help her or her friends sort out this senseless sadness and shed light on how the tragedy appeared to be replaying itself in the present time? How were they supposed to even begin figuring out how to stop things from going horribly wrong again?

"And it sent Sasuke over the deep end, eh?" Tenten asked.

"No, _that_ was because Sakura-chan was murdered by the Hyūga Clan on the fourth anniversary of Naruto's death," Ino corrected the weapons mistress.

"Could we not talk about _that_ part, Pig?" Sakura growled as she wrapped her arms in fresh bandages. "I don't think anyone likes to discuss their supposed deaths."

"The order of events doesn't really matter," Tenten shrugged. "Everything that went wrong in Yuzuki's future, it all started because Naruto kicked the bucket."

"So basically, Naruto came back to life because he was angry at how he died and what happened to the world afterward?" Ino asked.

"How should I know?" Tenten threw her hands up in the air. "Though I guess that would explain some of it."

Sakura shook her head. "That can't be the reason, at least not the only one. It isn't just that his actions are completely out of character compared to the Naruto we know. There's something else about this...demon," the pinkette said, hesitantly due to memories of the villagers speaking ill of her teammate, "that feels off, and I can't put my finger on it yet."

"Gee, what gave you _that_ hint, Billboard?" Ino snidely remarked. "Aside from the fact he's a genocidal maniac?"

"Ino!" Tenten hissed at the blonde before Sakura could properly reprimand her. It was already too late: Ino saw Tenten pointing to Yuzuki and already, her careless commentary had brought their time traveling friend to tears for the umpteenth time.

"Oh crap! Sorry, Yuzuki-san, I didn't..." Ino's voice trailed off; she was about to say she didn't mean to say that about Dark Naruto, but everyone there knew she'd be lying through her teeth, and dishonesty would only make Yuzuki hurt worse.

"Anyway," Sakura gritted through her teeth, "we should take our chance to leave while we still can. Yuzuki-san, are you sure Naruto is gone?"

Yuzuki shook her head and tried to hold back her tears. "Th-There is too much chakra infused into this building," she explained. "It is distorting my Byakugan's sight to the point that it hurts to activate the dōjutsu, so I cannot use it to verify his absence. But...if Naruto-kun was still here, I think we would all feel his presence."

Sakura nodded at Yuzuki. "That'll have to be good enough." She then stood, prompting Tenten and Ino to follow suit. "Alright girls, let's get going!" Yuzuki stood as well, but kept her head lowered and remained silent as she lagged behind her fellow kunoichi, who wasted no time in walking downstairs and towards the exit. To their surprise, the yōkai had kept his word: the front door was left open and unguarded. Once they stepped outside, they were enveloped in thick mist and shivered.

"Where are we, anyway?" Ino asked.

"I've been here before," Sakura whispered just loud enough for Ino and Tenten to hear. "Well, not _here_ specifically, but we're definitely somewhere in the Land of Waves," she spoke up after receiving questioning looks from the others.

"This is so surreal," Tenten said. "Who would've thought that demon would actually let us go, right Yuzuki-san?" she asked. When Yuzuki did not reply, she abruptly turned around and saw that Yuzuki was still standing behind the entrance to the hideout. "What are you doing, Yuzuki-san? We need to go now."

Yuzuki's reply came in the form of her reaching her hand out towards the doorway. The instant her hand tried to push past the doorway, a quiet shriek was heard and the entire hideout briefly lit up in an eerie red glow. A second later, a shock wave was discharged from the doorway, knocking Tenten, Sakura and Ino off their feet.

"What the hell was that?!" Tenten shouted.

"Some sort of barrier?" Ino suggested. "I've never seen anything like it."

Sakura frowned as she stood up. "That wasn't a barrier," she said.

"What do you mean, Sakura? If it wasn't a barrier than what is it?"

"I was afraid of this. What I gathered from Yuzuki's story, she acted as an anchor for the spirit of her timeline's Naruto to come back to this world. But now that he has a physical body, I can only surmise that their roles in the supernatural bond have been switched. Yuzuki is more or less enslaved to the other Naruto now." Being the second smartest person in their class as well as the highest-rated student in written grades, it came as no surprise to Ino that Sakura had knowledge of supernatural folklore. The surprise was having to hear her make use of that knowledge.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ino shouted. "Even if what you're saying wasn't completely insane, how would that even work?"

"It's all about chakra levels. Naturally, most disembodied spirits lack the chakra reserves they possessed during their time among the living, so Yuzuki needed to act as the anchor to sustain Naruto's presence. But since Naruto has transformed from a ghost into a demon, his chakra may as well be limitless."

"That still doesn't explain anything, Billboard! Naruto's not even here, so where's the logic in that?"

"Agh! Are you even listening, Pig?! Yuzuki-san herself said the surrounding area reeks of the other Naruto's chakra. He doesn't have to be here physically! If he's infused enough chakra into the surroundings, it'll keep Yuzuki-san trapped just the same!"

"So you're saying we can't get Yuzuki-san out? I don't believe that."

"I agree with Ino," Tenten added. "There has to be another way to get Yuzuki-san out of here."

"Please don't bother yourselves..." Yuzuki said softly. All three of them turned around to face her, who was giving them her sad smile. The pain in that smile was as evident as her inability to hold back her tears and it broke the three kunoichi inside to even look at her. "Even if I could leave, I wouldn't want to," she added.

"Are you crazy, Yuzuki?! Don't say stuff like that! We'll think of something, so don't give up on us yet! Our Naruto wouldn't want that!" Ino shouted.

Yuzuki shook her head. "I cannot allow you to endanger anyone else by taking me away. Even if you did free me from here and get us back to Konoha, my Naruto-kun would follow. Whatever threat Naruto-kun poses now, I must deal with it on my own. Besides that..." Yuzuki lowered her head down again and whispered softly, almost too softly for the others to hear, "Even if it was possible for me to leave, I can't. I can't leave him...not while he's like this..."

Her words reminded the others again how little they knew the pain which Yuzuki was suffering, and had suffered. Even though they wanted to argue with her until they made her see reason, that pain robbed them of the ability to voice their arguments.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped," Tenten said with a sigh. She walked back into the hideout, leaving the other girls stunned.

"Okay..." Sakura muttered. "Yuzuki-san being stuck here is one thing, but Tenten, have you gone crazy too?!" she howled.

"Hear me out, Sakura. We don't all have to leave here. We only need one of us to get back to the village and tell Hokage-sama where Yuzuki-san is. I know we'd have a bigger advantage if we could all leave, but it doesn't look like that will happen anytime soon." Sakura paused for a moment to consider what Tenten was saying. However, Yuzuki was not going to hear it. She was not going to allow her friends to share her burden.

"No! Just go! The three of you need to go! I'll be fine!"

Ino groaned at Yuzuki as she followed Tenten inside the hideout. "It's no wonder you're such a good match for Naruto. You're even more stubborn than he is."

"Ino-san..."

"That demon was right about one thing," Tenten added. "What kind of friends would we be if we just left you here?"

"Tenten-san..."

"Hey, wait a second! Why do you think you have to be all noble and make me look bad?!" Sakura yelled.

"Have you forgotten that Ino and I still can't believe all of this is actually happening?" Tenten countered. "You're the only one who can make sense of it all. Plus, Hokage-sama is surely overworked back home. That's why it has to be you who goes, Sakura. The sooner you get back to Konoha, the sooner we can leave."

"Not to mention, you can't help Yuzuki-san maintain her hygiene," Ino couldn't resist making the verbal jab at her best friend. "I mean, really? You were almost useless in the bath just a while ago. It's like you forgot everything I taught you about beauty and fashion when Hokage-sama took you on as her apprentice, Billboard Brow."

"Well, excuse me for not wanting to look and smell like a pig!" Sakura shot back.

For the briefest moment, Yuzuki's outlook on life turned hopeful again. Here were her friends, despite knowing the truth about everything, knowing she had lied to them, and not only were they going out of their way to help her, they were still bickering amongst one another as though this had never happened.

"You guys, I..." Yuzuki tried to protest one more time, but Sakura walked inside and silenced her with a hug.

"We won't let you suffer alone any longer, Yuzuki-san. We will figure out how to stop your future from happening." Sakura let go of Yuzuki before she could answer and ran off, but shouted "I'll come back as soon as I can!" while she fled. The others just stood there for a few moments longer, watching as the pink-haired medic disappeared into the mist.

"Well, I think it's nap time now," Ino said, yawning as she walked back up the staircase.

"Agreed. I haven't had a chance to catch up on sleep lately, with everything that's been happening. Don't hesitate to wake us up if you need something, Yuzuki-san," Tenten said as she followed Ino into their assigned room. Yuzuki nodded and sighed, waiting for Tenten to finish before going back to her chamber.

 _'Sakura-san, Ino-san, Tenten-san. Your words mean more to me than you could ever know. I thank you for your support,'_ Yuzuki thought to herself as she opened the drawer in her nightstand and pulled out a kunai she had managed to swipe from the weapons collection Dark Naruto confiscated from Tenten after their arrival here. _'But staying here will only hurt us all more. It will cost me my life, but I must end this madness myself. I cannot allow Naruto-kun to fall any deeper into his darkness.'_

She was about to thrust the kunai into her heart when she heard a soft knock. She scrambled to hide it as the door to her chamber opened.

x-x

Yuzuki had already turned away from the door before it opened. She didn't have to use her eyes to know who was walking in. She felt the presence, just as she had told Sakura she would right before they tried to leave the hideout.

 **"You tried to leave, didn't you?"** Dark Naruto asked, walking up to Yuzuki and wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"I thought you were gone," Yuzuki said flatly. "We couldn't feel your presence."

The yōkai breathed softly on Yuzuki's neck, eliciting a shiver from the time-traveling maiden. **"Technically, I'm not here. The boss sent a clone when he sensed a disturbance coming from the anchor. But you already knew you couldn't leave, didn't you?"**

Yuzuki did not reply. Of course she had known; she had felt the spiritual shift when she awakened from her induced slumber and knew that Dark Naruto's chakra was keeping her anchored to him, instead of the other way around. Worse still, Yuzuki had attempted to send some of her chakra and recent memories to Hinata, only to discover that Dark Naruto's chakra was preventing it. Somehow, the yōkai had managed to stop the merger between her and her younger self.

 **"Do you already want to leave that badly?"** Dark Naruto's clone whispered. Yuzuki tensed up as she felt his breath on her skin and his fingers traced the outline of her ear. **"Just say the word and I will take you anywhere you want to go. When this is over, you will be free to follow your heart's deepest desires. Would you like that, _Heika?"_**

"Please don't call me that," Yuzuki begged him, clenching her hands as she fought against his temptation.

The clone turned her around to face him. His face was still hidden by his cloak so she couldn't see his demonic features, but he made sure she could still feel his desire for her. **"But you are a queen, y'know? My queen. Or would you prefer I call you Hinata?"** he asked softly.

Yuzuki froze as the clone leaned his head forward, attempting to kiss her. _'No...I can't, I can't give in. But I want to so much. Why do I want him to kiss me? After everything he's done, why do I still want him to love me? Please stop...'_ she mentally begged. When he didn't stop, she pushed him off the bed and stood up.

"Stay away from me!"

Dark Naruto rose back to his feet and walked around the bed towards her, completely unfazed by her sudden violence towards him. **"Come now, Yuzuki. You don't mean that. I know you don't mean that."**

"You know nothing about me!" Yuzuki kept yelling, backing away from the yōkai until her back was pressed against one of the many windows. "You killed all those people! You hurt Sakura-san and kidnapped her along with Ino-san and Tenten-san...and then you had to hurt Tenten-san right in front of me..."

 **"What of it?"**

Yuzuki couldn't break the window behind her to escape; the anchor made it impossible for her to leave. She still wanted to believe that Naruto would not hurt her, but the longer he stayed here, the stronger her fear of him grew. "'What of it?' Is that all you have to say?"

 **"Before you lecture me on my choices, let me ask you something. What has that godforsaken village ever done for you? for me? for _us?"_**

"The people in Konoha, they are our friends and family!" Yuzuki countered. "And you murdered so many of them in cold blood!"

Her words only made Dark Naruto angry.

 **"Ha! Some family they are. Your cousin tried to murder you on more than one occasion; your father, sister and grandfather shunned you as did the rest of your clan; and bullies targeted you at the Academy because you have the Byakugan. As for me, I never knew my parents, and was hated by almost everyone my entire childhood for reasons I didn't even know about at the time. And do you remember what we did?"** Dark Naruto asked, pinning Yuzuki to the window. Yuzuki was drowning in his anger and pain as he spoke, even though it was not directed at her. **"We still fought for them while enduring constant suffering at their hands. I even became a martyr for them, and I know you would have done the same. Those pathetic shinobi have corrupted the teachings of the Sage of Six Paths for centuries, fighting increasingly violent and senseless wars over false ideologies and deluding themselves into believing they were acting for the greater good."** Then he gently caressed Yuzuki's cheek with his right hand and his voice dropped several octaves. **"Don't you get it, Yuzuki? They will never let us be together. Even if we had run away, they would have chased us down because to them, we are nothing more than pawns in their political games, weapons and tools to be discarded once they decide we're of no further use. The only reason they aren't chasing us now is because they don't know where we are yet."**

The yōkai gently lifted Yuzuki's chin and his voice dropped again, to a whisper. **"Maybe they were right about me and I am only a weapon. But you are so much more. You are a queen and a goddess, who deserves nothing less than the happiness the shinobi of this failed world would deny you."**

Yuzuki reacted without thinking. She delivered a devastating palm thrust to Dark Naruto's midsection, blasting him towards the other end of her bedchamber. His words were poisoning her; the poison's taste may have turned sweet at the end but it was poison all the same. After he impacted the wall, she was breathing heavily, as though she had taken the hit instead.

But Yuzuki didn't stop at that. In her blind rage, she pressed her attack, slamming palm thrust after palm thrust into the clone's torso.

"How could you?! How could you do all of this?! What the hell were you thinking?!" Yuzuki raved, her assault not letting up for even a second. She kept slamming her palms, which were now covered in purple chakra, into Dark Naruto, but he was still standing despite her repeated strikes, remaining silent, which only fed her rage. "Answer me, damn it! How are you here?! Why can everyone see you?!" Still no response from Dark Naruto, who received the strikes and was apparently intent on remaining silent until she had exhausted her anger, which only continued to have the opposite effect.

After several minutes of this abuse, the wall behind Dark Naruto had cracks forming. But Yuzuki still wasn't finished. Familiar lion head shapes formed around her palms and she thrust them into his solar plexus, channeling all of her pent-up rage towards the yōkai into this final hit and as it connected, she yelled the words she had never thought she would say to her Naruto:

 _"I HATE YOU!"_

The final attack blasted a hole in the wall, through which Dark Naruto fell. The hood of his cloak fell off as he collapsed into the rubble, and Yuzuki fell to her knees as she was crippled by a strong echo of the damage she had just inflicted. The clone pushed himself back up, but sat on the rubble and coughed up a little blood. His invulnerability to all attacks only worked as long as his willpower was strong enough and his chakra didn't fall below a certain amount, but as he endured Yuzuki's onslaught, his will had faltered just long enough for her last attack to do some real damage. It was only due to his general mastery over the Shadow Clone Jutsu that the clone had not been dispelled.

 **"You hate me, huh?"** Dark Naruto whispered, staring at Yuzuki with his face now exposed to her. **"I see...so that's how it is..."**

Yuzuki gasped as she saw the yōkai's face and tears washed over her cheeks again. "No...I...I didn't want this...I never wanted this..."

 **"I know."** Dark Naruto stood and slowly approached Yuzuki. **"And I'll never be able to give you what you truly want."**

Yuzuki tried to back away, but her body refused to obey her commands. "No...no! You're not Naruto-kun! You can't be him! What the hell have you done to him?!"

Dark Naruto laughed softly at her mind's defense mechanisms. **"I knew you'd react like that once you saw me,"** he said as he walked up to her, then knelt down and cupped her chin in his hand. **"Look at me, Yuzuki. Look at me and then say I'm not Naruto. Look me in the eyes."**

Yuzuki didn't want to obey his command, but she was forced to do so. When she saw the yellow irides and cross-pattern pupils surrounded by black sclerae, she was certain that this was not her Naruto. But then her eyes deceived her, or so she wanted to believe. For the briefest moment, the truth manifested in front of her and his eyes changed, becoming the deep blue she had fallen in love with so many years ago.

"No...it can't be true..." Yuzuki whispered. But as she was forced to take another look, she could not deny what she saw. The yōkai in front of her was gone now and in his place stood her Naruto, exactly the way she remembered him from the last time she saw him alive.

 **"Now do you believe it's me?"** Dark Naruto asked.

Yuzuki collapsed into him, crying incessantly into his jacket. Whatever doubt had lingered in her mind was now gone. This was her Naruto kneeling in front of her and holding her. She still wished that it wasn't him and was only pretending to be him to torment her. But her wishes were not to be answered. She was living the nightmare once more. Her tragedy had not ended the day Naruto died; on the contrary, it had just entered its second act.

"I hate you..." Yuzuki whispered, trying one last time to break herself free from her Naruto. "I hate you...I hate you..."

Dark Naruto froze up for a second. He had known this was how Yuzuki would feel towards him, had accepted it as truth and based all of his plans for her around said truth, but hearing the truth spoken from her lips still brought him greater pain than anything he could imagine. Nevertheless, he lifted Yuzuki's chin once more and smiled at her.

 **"I get it, Yuzuki. I'm a monster, after all. I always was. It's only natural for you to hate something like me and I don't blame you in the slightest for it. But I won't let you go now that I have you. I'll still give you the perfect world you deserve, even though I have no place in it. I may make you cry even more along the way, but that's okay. I'll bear the burden of your hatred. I'll endure the pain that comes from that hatred. But I just need you to remember this, no matter what.**

 **"Even though you may hate me until the end of time,"** Dark Naruto said as he leaned forward, **"I will always love you."** And then he kissed Yuzuki, who was unable to resist his advance.

The kiss from the yōkai was even more painful than the one he had given her as a human on the morning of his death. Yuzuki could not stop Dark Naruto's feelings from pouring into her through his lips, even though she withheld her own love and tried to suppress it with her hate. It hurt her beyond words to receive this and it was a pain she couldn't bear.

"Get out," Yuzuki whispered, pushing Dark Naruto away from her. "I said GET OUT!" she screamed when he didn't immediately disappear.

 **"As you wish."** The clone sighed and vanished, leaving only a lingering smoke trail behind.

x-x

 _Two days later..._

Hinata awakened to a strange feeling that immediately consumed her mind. When she had lost consciousness, she had been so badly injured that it should have taken her several weeks to make a full physical recovery, and yet here she was, not feeling even an ounce of pain. As a matter of fact, she felt more refreshed than she normally did after waking up.

That was her first surprise. The second surprise was observing an eerie orange glow surrounding her, but when she reached out to touch it, it vanished.

And the third surprise came when she tried to get up, only to find herself locked in a death grip by a certain person who was laying down next to her on the bed.

"Naruto-kun?!" Hinata gasped, blushing deeply. There was no response from Naruto; he was trapped in a deep, unpleasant sleep, and Hinata knew right away there was no gentle method she could use to rouse him from his sleep. She took a few deep breaths as she wriggled her way out of his grip, eliciting a moan from him. She was struggling to keep herself composed as she realized that both she and Naruto were dressed only in white hospital gowns. She also realized, belatedly, that they were not in the hospital or anywhere near it. The room looked strangely like one of the many rooms in the main building of the Hyūga estate. Her bedroom, to be more exact. But what were they doing here...?

She had just steeled herself enough to not suffer an information overload from this sensory input when she heard footsteps from the hallway. Hinata slid the door open and took a peek, and saw her bodyguard Kō running past her. Kō immediately noticed that Hinata was awake and stopped to speak to her.

"Hinata-sama!" Kō greeted his charge. "I'm so glad you're awake!"

"Kō-san, wha—" Hinata tried to ask.

Kō already knew what the former heiress was thinking and cut her off: "Hiashi-sama had you and Naruto-san transferred here from the hospital soon after you two lost consciousness. Hokage-sama and the Medic Corps have their hands full with the stream of injured and missing villagers from the New Years storm, so everyone in our clan is busy providing assistance and lightening her load to the best of our ability. That included having you brought here."

Hinata was shocked at this news. Sure, her father had made a greater effort to show kindness towards her over the past year, but why would that suddenly extend to giving care to Naruto? She was still suspicious of him for telling her to pursue her relationship with Naruto...

"Otō-sama did that?"

Kō nodded. "I cannot linger here, Hinata-sama. Our district was the only part of the village that partially escaped destruction. We are being pushed to our limits with the recovery effort, providing shelter and supplies to as many survivors of the storm as possible. Before I leave, might I ask about Naruto-san? Is he awake yet? Hiashi-sama needs to speak to both of you as soon as possible."

Hinata glanced briefly at her bed, then shook her head. "Naruto-kun is still trying to recover, Kō-san. I will take care of him."

"Ah, I see." It was plain to see that Hinata was deeply troubled, but Kō sensed it would be best to not pursue the matter. "Do not hesitate to find me if you require anything, Hinata-sama." They gave each other a respectful bow before Kō started running again.

Hinata was left with a lot of questions about her father's state of mind, but that would have to wait. Right now, her priority was providing Naruto with a pleasant atmosphere when he awakened.

She walked towards her vanity and shed the hospital gown she was wearing, but froze up when she looked at herself in the mirror and saw her scars. She had always been overly self-conscious of her body, especially since the stress she faced in the compound triggered an early start to puberty, and had not yet rid herself of her self-esteem issues. Looking at the scars she had from that night now made it worse. The slash marks covering her breasts and stomach were faint now, almost faint enough to be indistinguishable from the rest of her skin tissue, but the scar over her left eye was far more noticeable. She would have to see that scar every time she looked at her own reflection. And surely it would trigger flashbacks of how helpless she had been that night...

 _'I cannot afford to have flashbacks of that night,'_ Hinata thought to herself, shaking it off. _'Naruto-kun needs me to be strong for him, now more than ever.'_ She opened the topmost drawer of her dresser and retrieved her mission outfit: lavender and cream hooded jacket, mesh armor, and navy blue pants, along with white undergarments, and slipped them on quickly. Then she walked towards the kitchen, which thankfully seemed to be undamaged from the storm, and searched the cupboards for the one food item that would jump-start her Naruto-kun's (and it brought her some comfort to know she could finally call him hers) mental recovery: ramen noodles.

 _'This may be the best thing for Naruto-kun right now, but most ramen is bad for health. Still, it is his comfort food and thankfully there are enough of the right ingredients here that I can make him a healthy meal rich in vital nutrients.'_ Ever since Naruto had returned to Konoha, Hinata had spent enough time with him that though ramen was not one of her favorite meals, she had become quite fond of the dish. But she wouldn't settle for store-bought instant noodles unless there was no alternative; and even the noodles served at Ichiraku's and other restaurants were very unhealthy. However, she had picked up a few recipes that were much healthier than either of the foods that had sustained Naruto's spirit. She could have happily spent hours in the kitchen cooking the perfect ramen for Naruto if he asked it of her. But with the village in the state it was in, if anyone found her in the kitchen they would insist that she stop cooking and start doing her part in the recovery effort, and she would not be able to say no. So she had to make this quick.

Hinata took out several small- and medium-sized bowls to hold all of the necessary ingredients for a healthy instant noodle meal: spinach leaves, shredded carrots, tofu cubes, miso paste, soy sauce, homemade bouillon powder, and scallion greens. She also took out four "nests" of brown rice noodles along with four Weck jars to contain the noodles, and started boiling the noodles one nest at a time over the stove. Once each nest softened and began to separate, she drained them in a colander and rinsed them with cold water, then set the nest aside and boiled the next one. After the last nest was ready, she boiled another pot of hot water and layered the ingredients into the jars, then poured the hot water into two of the four jars and covered them, allowing them to steep for two minutes. As they steeped, she resealed the rest of the ingredients and returned them to their proper places for storage, and also stored the other two jars in the fridge for later consumption. Lastly, she placed the jars on a silver tray along with a glass of milk, and slowly walked back towards her bedroom.

 _'Naruto-kun won't be overly fond of the amount of vegetables I used in this recipe,'_ Hinata noted during her walk, _'but I am short on both other ingredients and time. So he will have to make do.'_

When Hinata got to her room, she saw right away that the window was open and Naruto was gone. She gasped and dropped the tray to the floor, nearly spilling all of its contents on herself. She activated her Byakugan to scan the compound, but found no trace of Naruto anywhere in the main building. Then she heard an explosion from outside and focused her sight there. To her horror, she found that the guards outside the front gate were unconscious and Naruto was engaged in battle with her cousin Neji, who was also using his Byakugan. She rushed outside, but could only stand on the sidelines and watch what was about to transpire between her boyfriend and cousin.

"Move it, Neji, or I swear to God I'll beat the living hell out of you next!" Naruto yelled.

"You are not going anywhere, Naruto," Neji responded, completely unimpressed by Naruto's attempt to cower him into submission. "Your condition from two nights ago has yet to stabilize. Even as we speak, I can see your chakra network fluctuating. You are acting rashly and in your present state, you will endanger both yourself and others if you take even a single step outside these gates."

"I don't care! I hafta save Yuzuki-kā-chan and nothing's gonna stop me!" Naruto formed the familiar modified Ram seal and shouted, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" In an instant, one Naruto became ten and they were all staring down Neji, trying to overwhelm him with killing intent. "Last chance, Neji! Get outta my way!" the ten Narutos shouted.

"Why don't you make me?" Neji answered the challenge, entering a Gentle Fist stance and readying himself for Naruto's attack.

"You asked for it!" All ten Narutos' right hands lit up in a yellow glow as a Rasengan formed in each of them. Neji faltered just a moment and Hinata couldn't blame him for it; after all, since when was Naruto's chakra control good enough that he could make a Rasengan, never mind that many of them, without the help of a shadow clone or the Kyūbi's chakra cloak?

"Rasengan Barrage!" the Narutos shouted, launching themselves at Neji.

"Eight Trigrams Giant Palms Rotation!" Neji countered, expelling chakra from his tenketsu to generate a giant spinning dome larger than the standard Rotation. The attack from Naruto and his clones collided with Neji's ultimate defense, creating a powerful gust that made Hinata brace herself.

When the dust settled, there was no sight of Naruto or any of his clones anywhere. Neji grimaced and focused his sight underground, and true enough, the original was underneath him, trying to knock him out with an uppercut to his jaw.

"I said get outta my way!" Naruto shouted.

Hinata watched their next movements happen in slow motion. For a moment, it looked like the attack from Naruto would be an exact repeat of his upset victory in the Chūnin Exams. But Neji pulled his head back and twisted around, avoiding the uppercut and leaving Naruto completely vulnerable to a counterattack while his momentum propelled him upward.

"Not on your life!" Neji shouted back at Naruto. "Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!" he kept shouting, slamming a concentrated burst of chakra into Naruto's gut and sending him flying backwards, tumbling across the ground. Neji held nothing back in his attack; the very last thing the Hyūga Clan, never mind the village at large, needed to deal with was a Naruto who was still flying off the handle and disregarding every protocol in the shinobi manual.

"Did you honestly think you could pull that trick on me twice?" Neji chided Naruto. "If you were in possession of all your faculties, you would not have lost to me."

"Shut up," Naruto groaned, struggling to get back on his feet.

Neji sighed. "I have no desire to hurt you, Naruto. But if you insist on forcing my hand, I will make sure you stay bedridden until you come to your senses."

"I said shut up!" Naruto yelled, then doubled over and coughed up blood.

"Just look at yourself, Naruto! You can barely stand! What do you think you could possibly do in your current condition?"

"I won't know until I try!"

It was at that moment that Neji acknowledged Hinata's presence behind Naruto and decided to use her against the blond. "And will you leave Hinata-sama behind as well? Will you leave her to worry about you while you run off on an unsanctioned suicide mission?"

"She won't even know I'm gone if you just get outta my way!"

"I wouldn't bet on that," Neji said coldly, pointing behind Naruto. Hinata took that as her cue to approach them, and she made no effort to hide her anger towards Naruto, who promptly froze up as he felt her walk towards him.

"Ah, shit," Naruto groaned. "Hinata's standing right behind me, isn't she?" Neji nodded, and Naruto slowly turned to face Hinata as she marched up towards him. "Hinata, listen, I—"

 _Smack!_ Naruto felt the familiar sting of pain from Hinata's hand making contact with his cheek. This was the second time she had slapped him in anger and this one definitely hurt more than the first.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Naruto-kun?" Hinata cursed, her minor profanity speaking volumes about her mood. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack? I left your side for a few minutes to make you ramen, only for you to disappear without telling me where you are going or what you planned to do, and then I come out here to find that not only have you injured two of my clansmen, you picked a fight with Neji-nii-san?"

"You don't understand!" Naruto tried to say.

"You're damn right I don't understand!" Hinata yelled back. "I don't understand why you're like this! You promised me during the fireworks that you would be open with me and let me in! Why are you going back on your word? Why won't you trust me?"

Naruto clenched his fists and turned his head away from her. "I can't..."

Hinata was about to start crying. Was Naruto's nindō—no, _their_ nindō—so easily broken after all? "And why not?!"

"I just _can't,_ alright?!" Naruto yelled back. Hinata was stunned by his vehemence and her anger turned to depression. "Besides, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you..." he said more softly, mostly to himself, before falling back on his knees. Hinata knelt down as well and hugged him, trying to coax him into telling her what was wrong, but to no avail as he just kept ignoring her. This continued for several minutes until Hiashi stepped outside and issued a single demand to everyone involved in this disturbance on his clan's grounds:

"What is going on here?"

x-x

Naruto, Neji and Hinata all turned to face Hiashi, who was standing just outside the entrance to the main building. The head of the Hyūga Clan was surveying the scene before him and made no effort to hide his displeasure towards what had just happened.

"Hiashi-sama, I—" Neji began, but Hiashi waved his hand dismissively, silencing his nephew.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Hiashi addressed the blond instigator of the incident. Upon being called out, Naruto pushed Hinata off him and shakily rose to his feet.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked coldly. Hinata, and all the other Hyūga who had gathered here except for Neji and Hiashi gasped at his attitude; aside from Tsunade and a few select jōnin, no one had ever spoken to Hiashi with such complete disrespect. But Hiashi, as usual, was completely unimpressed by the boy's tone.

"Explain your behavior, boy," Hiashi demanded. "The guards positioned at the gates of the compound were not just there for security reasons; they were also being used to relay messages and maintain communication with the rest of the village during the recovery efforts. Thanks to your hostile behavior here, I now need to assign replacements for these guards while they recover from the injuries you inflicted."

"Maybe next time, they'll let me through when I tell them to!" Naruto shouted.

"You are in no position to be either issuing orders or disobeying the orders given by your superiors," Hiashi chided Naruto as he folded his arms and walked towards the boy. "Your noncompliance is far too dangerous to permit in these perilous days. The Hyūga Clan cannot afford to have you running around in your present condition, nor attacking the very people who are supposed to be protecting you and placing them out of commission."

"Well, I didn't ask for your help or your protection!"

"What you want is irrelevant. Until such time as your surrogate mother can be brought back to Konoha, it is my personal responsibility to care for you in her absence."

"Don't insult Yuzuki-kā-chan!" Naruto screamed. "You can't take care of me! You can't even keep your own family together!" Hiashi's face twitched at the accusation, while Hinata and the other Hyūga (including Neji this time) gasped again. Hiashi had already calculated that Naruto would respond unfavorably to the news that he had been declared a ward of the Hyūga Clan, but that did not stop him from having a rare, uncontrolled emotional reaction to Naruto's words.

"Need I remind you, Naruto-san, that Hokage-sama has not lifted your suspension from active duty, and after hearing about this incident she will not be inclined to do so anytime soon. Furthermore, the only reason you are here and not still recuperating in the hospital or worse, locked in a prison cell to await interrogation is because I put my own life on the line challenging Hokage-sama for the right to do what should have been done the night you were born.

"But if you are so insistent on shunning my hospitality..." Hiashi allowed his voice to trail off as he stared down Naruto, and for several very tense seconds, all of the onlookers were left wondering how the clan head would respond to Naruto's behavior.

His response left them all stupefied: "Then have it your way. Neji, let him pass."

Neji looked at Hiashi like he had gone mad. "With all due respect, Hiashi-sama, you went through a lot of trouble to convince Hokage-sama to let you bring Naruto here," the Branch House prodigy pointed out. "And now you're just letting him run away?"

"So I did," Hiashi replied to Neji while continuing to stare down Naruto, who wasn't showing the slightest amount of gratitude towards him for his gestures. Off to the side, Hinata also continued to look at Hiashi in amazement, wondering exactly what he was doing. Why would Hiashi go through all that trouble for Naruto at his own expense? "However," Hiashi continued, "it is apparent that Naruto-san does not feel either the need or the desire for our assistance, so it is pointless to offer it to him."

"Otō-sama!" Hinata objected. Neji clenched his fists, but said nothing and stepped aside, allowing Naruto to stumble through the gates, struggling to keep his balance. As he left, Hinata tried to run after him, but Hiashi placed a hand on her shoulder and gripped it tightly, holding her back. "What are you doing, Otō-sama? Naruto-kun is—"

"I know, Hinata," Hiashi interrupted his eldest daughter, speaking more softly. "Naruto-san is in great emotional pain. He is consumed by anger and regret, blaming himself for his failure to stop Yuzuki-san from being taken away. Give him some time and he will come to his senses."

"Not like that, he won't!" Hinata continued to object. "Naruto-kun isn't even dressed properly! He hasn't fully recovered from his other injuries, never mind the new injuries Neji-nii-san gave him! Why would you let Naruto-kun go like that? I can't tell if you're actually trying to help him or not!" She freed herself from Hiashi's grip and pushed him out of the way, then ran off after Naruto, hoping she could get through to him and convince him to return to the complex.

After she disappeared from normal sight, Neji turned back to face Hiashi and sighed deeply. "Forgive me, Hiashi-sama, but after this I must confess that I too am starting to question your plans for Naruto-san and Hinata-sama."

"Is that so?" Hiashi asked. "I did allow Hinata to go after Naruto-san, did I not?"

"She would have run off regardless of whether you consented," Neji pointed out.

"And that is exactly what I was counting on. Their negative emotions are running too high after their recent traumas. They need to be left alone until they are calm enough to return to our estate on their own, at which time we shall be able to have a proper conversation with them regarding their immediate future." Hiashi turned back towards the compound and added, "After you bring the injured guards to our medical wing, Neji, see to it that Naruto and Hinata's belongings are moved to the guest house. You and Kō-san will be their regular attendants should anything arise. Are we clear?"

Neji frowned as he lifted one of the guards onto his shoulders in a fireman carry and followed Hiashi back into the main building. The guest house was an entirely separate residence from the main building, nowhere near as large but still very spacious compared to the standard residence in Konoha. To Neji's awareness, allowing Naruto and Hinata to have it to themselves was _not_ part of the plan.

"Are you sure that is a wise course of action, Hiashi-sama?"

"First off, Neji, address me as your uncle and not as the clan leader. If we are to convince Naruto-san that we are a functional family, we must show him by setting a better example than we did in the past. And second, Naruto-san and Hinata will need to have a secluded environment for themselves, will they not?" Hiashi said as though it were the most basic thing in the world.

Neji grimaced, but nodded. "As you wish...Oji-sama."

x-x

Even though it had only been one minute between Naruto running off and Hinata following him, in that short length of time Hinata had already lost sight of Naruto. She tried calling out to Naruto at first, but the district was packed with homeless civilians searching for friends, family members and shelter, so her voice was quickly lost among the crowd. She then tried to activate her Byakugan, but her first attempt to scan her surroundings triggered a massive headache that forced her to deactivate the dōjutsu. She fell to her knees, covered her face with her hands and let out a muffled moan of agony.

 _'Where did you go, Naruto-kun?'_ Hinata wondered. With her Byakugan temporarily unusable, she had no choice but to search the ruins of Konoha the old-fashioned way, hoping to find Naruto or anyone who had seen where Naruto went.

"Excuse me, oji-san," Hinata called out to a middle-aged male civilian on the far edge of the crowd, "but have you seen Naruto-kun?" The man shook his head and walked past her. "I see. I'm sorry for wasting your time." Then she approached another civilian, asking him the same question. But the second civilian just walked away without acknowledging her, eliciting another agonized moan from her. For almost an hour, Hinata repeated this action across different districts, her vigor increasing with each district she searched, but each time she asked for Naruto's whereabouts she was met with the same responses: either no one knew where he went, or no one was willing to acknowledge her. Each time she failed to gain Naruto's whereabouts brought her greater pain.

"Surely someone has seen Naruto-kun...?" Hinata wondered aloud. She was about to give up on asking around when another middle-aged civilian, female this time, called out for her. "Yes? Can you help me, oba-san?"

"You said you were looking for Naruto, yes?" the woman asked.

Hinata nodded and slowly walked towards her, hoping that she had the lead to Naruto that was so desperately needed. "That's right. Have you seen him?"

Her hopes were quickly dashed by the woman's answer.

"Why would I want the Nine-Tails child to show its face?"

Hinata's eyebrows twitched. "Excuse me?" she coldly asked. Normally she would have ignored this particular flavor of civilian, but after the time she'd spent around Naruto and Yuzuki since Naruto's return to Konoha, she could not deny that she had changed somewhat.

"That thing had already caused our village more than enough trouble before it brought that storm down upon us. All it knows how to do is bring us suffering. I pray that the Nine-Tails child was killed in that storm."

Before Hinata realized what she was doing, she charged at the woman, Byakugan activated despite her headache and chakra coating her palms. Her lapse in control had only lasted for a few moments, but in that time, Hinata had nearly struck down the civilian woman with a palm thrust aimed at her heart. She was still shaking in anger as her palm stopped just a few centimeters away from the civilian's breast.

"If I had allowed my strike to connect, the only thing that would happen to me is that I would be required to explain to Hokage-sama that you broke the Third's Law," Hinata said, her voice trembling somewhat. "It is my legal responsibility as a ninja of Konoha to punish wrongdoers. The disaster that befell our village does not give you a free pass to break the law. If any of our village's jōnin or Anbu had overheard your hateful words, you would not still be alive to have this conversation." The civilian woman wisely remained silent as Hinata continued her speech, though she was also shaking in fear after having been reminded of the penalty of disobedience.

"Understand that the only reason I stopped myself from executing you where you stand is because it is not what Naruto-kun would want."

"And why...does that child's opinion matter?" the civilian gritted out.

"It matters because Naruto-kun has suffered more than everyone else in this village combined. Despite being ostracized, Naruto-kun has never lashed out against the village for the way they treated him. All Naruto-kun has ever wanted is to be acknowledged as himself. It takes incredible strength of character to maintain that desire in the face of adversity, and that strength makes Naruto-kun a better person than everyone else in this village.

"Naruto-kun has suffered so much pain from being alone for so long. I can understand his pain, at least a little bit. I was also looked down upon and shunned as a child. I wanted to give up and take the wrong path, but Naruto-kun saved me from that. His strength and kindness rescued me from myself and reminded me of who I want to be. Every day, I continue striving to become as strong and as kind as Naruto-kun is, so that I may one day be worthy of standing by his side." And then Hinata ran off, leaving the civilian with a great deal to think about after being spared from the penalty of shinobi law.

A few minutes after rebuking the bigoted woman, Hinata arrived at Naruto's apartment—or rather, what was left of Naruto's apartment after the storm. The building itself was still standing despite its structural damage, but it was no longer safe to occupy. Hinata had to get Naruto out of there right away. She almost wished that Naruto wasn't here, that he had ran outside the village walls instead. It would have been less painful for them both that way.

She jumped up onto the balcony and walked inside the apartment. Naruto was furiously digging through the rubble, like a man possessed, and talking to himself incessantly.

"Not here," Naruto muttered. "Not here, either."

"What isn't here, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked hesitantly. If Naruto was aware of her trying to approach him, he made no indication of such.

"Not here...not here...there's nothing here, dammit!" Naruto yelled, slamming his fists down on the pile of rubble hard enough to break the skin on his hands, which caused the pile to collapse, various pieces sliding off the top in every direction. Hinata was wondering what Naruto was searching for, but only for a few seconds. In her peripheral vision, she caught sight of a broken picture frame lying below a pile of wood that used to be a dresser. Hinata walked over and picked up the frame.

"Is this what you were looking for, Naruto-kun?" she asked, still hesitant as she walked back to Naruto with the frame in her hands. Naruto reluctantly turned to face her, though his eyes lit up as he spotted her holding the picture. It was the picture of Team Seven, taken after they passed Kakashi's infamous Bell Test. But once he got a closer look at the picture, the hope he felt turned to despair.

"Why...?" Naruto said quietly, his voice strained.

"Why what, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked while kneeling in front of him, the hesitation in her voice having yet to vanish.

"Why is it that everyone I care about leaves me?" Naruto clarified. Hinata was confused and tried to press Naruto to clarify further, but it was only then that she noticed that the picture was damaged. Embers had managed to slip through the cracks in the glass and burned out the faces of Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi, leaving Naruto standing alone with three black silhouettes. And seeing the damage to the picture brought Naruto to tears. Hinata gasped; she had seen Naruto at low points several times, but she had never before seen him cry until now.

Hinata could not even begin to imagine the despair Naruto was feeling at this moment. Having been alone and unwanted for so long, every gift Naruto received from those who accepted him was more than just a gift. Every single one was a precious treasure with a special meaning, and he kept them all close to his heart. If even one of these gifts was destroyed, the loss would take a tiny piece of his heart with it.

"How much did this picture mean to you, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked. Naruto briefly did a double take, but shook his head and flung off more tears. Hinata was still trying to slip past his walls. She was still trying to understand him so that she could help him.

"It wasn't just a picture, Hinata," Naruto explained, his voice breaking. "It's a constant reminder of my failures. I couldn't keep my promise to Sakura-chan to bring Sasuke back, and now Sakura-chan is gone too, and after what I did after the Chūnin Exams Kakashi-sensei probably never wants to see me again!" Naruto's face fell, his tears falling at a faster rate. "And I don't even have anything to remind me of my failure to save Yuzuki-kā-chan. Nothing but this emptiness in my heart.

"Why, Hinata? Why does everyone leave me? I never knew my parents, Sasuke ran away from the village, and Sakura-chan and Yuzuki-kā-chan were taken away as well. Am I destined to lose everyone close to me?!" Naruto screamed, a scream of the deepest agony. His tears were only briefly interrupted when he suddenly doubled over and coughed up blood; he was still bleeding internally from Neji's attack and the Kyūbi was being far too slow in repairing the damage. But no amount of its chakra could fix the damage to his soul as he kept coughing and wailing.

With his pain overwhelming her as well, Hinata did the only thing she could do. She pulled Naruto into her arms and placed his head atop her breasts, cradling him and letting her own tears fall freely.

"T-This is not your fault, Naruto-kun. Don't think that you are to blame for any of this." Hinata stroked Naruto's hair lovingly with one hand and rubbed his back with the other. "Besides...not even death can stop me from leaving you. I love you too much." Naruto's head jerked up to look at her and for a few seconds, his tears stopped as his mind tried to process her words. Once they sunk in, the flow of tears started anew and he found himself returning Hinata's embrace.

"Hinata," Naruto whispered, "thank you...for loving me."

Despite the somber mood, Hinata couldn't help but laugh a little. "You don't need to thank me for that, Naruto-kun."

"Yes I do!" Naruto insisted. "I told you before, Hinata, I never knew my parents and had to live my entire childhood alone! Until you and Yuzuki-kā-chan came into my life, I didn't know what it felt like to be loved! I was so lonely all the time. I was drowning in despair. I wanted to just give up, but you two helped me stay on the right path! Your love saved me! So yes, Hinata, I have to thank you..." He buried his face in Hinata's shoulder again, crying harder than ever to purge the bitterness from his soul.

Hinata was also trembling as realization sunk in. Naruto's words made her see just how much he treasured his bonds with his precious people, and why he was so stubborn about chasing after Sasuke or any other friends who disappeared no matter how many others tried to convince him to give up on them. His words further drove home the struggle he faced in staying true to his chosen path.

"Naruto-kun...all this time, you were starving for love..." Hinata thought aloud, not realizing she had spoken her thoughts aloud until she felt Naruto nod his head. It also reinforced her resolve to make sure she never left Naruto and was always there for him.

By the time the broken pair stopped crying, the sky had started to turn dark. Hinata reluctantly separated from Naruto and stood up, stretching out her sore limbs, but quickly found herself letting Naruto lean on her for support since he still needed to recover from his injuries.

"We need to return to the compound, Naruto-kun," Hinata told him. "Chichi-ue and Neji will help us get Yuzuki-san and Sakura-san back."

Naruto shook his head. "I trust you, Hinata, but there's no way I'm about to trust that prick who calls himself your dad," he replied. Hinata almost laughed; it was one of the rare instances where it was in character for Naruto to carry a grudge. She knew it would take a while to convince Naruto that he had already made Hiashi change for the better.

"Are you ready?" Hinata asked. Naruto was about to nod in confirmation, but he was stopped by the burned picture of Team Seven that was still in his hand.

"Hey, Hinata?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"I wouldn't trade my time with Sakura-chan, Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei for anything, but..." Naruto's voice trailed off and he set the picture back down on the floor. "I think I would've liked being on your team, Hinata."

The words almost caused Hinata's sadness to vanish completely. One more tear escaped her eyes, but it was a happy tear. She shook her head and replied, "I was disappointed at first that we weren't on the same team, Naruto-kun. But looking back on it now, I think it was for the best." Naruto gave her a look of confusion and hurt before she continued, "I needed to remain afar from you; I needed to learn how to stand on my own. But during that time, being forced to watch you from a distance only made my love for you grow stronger, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's face lit up after hearing Hinata's words and he gently cupped her cheeks. Their lips met in a slow, sweet kiss that would have lasted forever had they not needed to eventually part for air, though when they did break the kiss, they were both smiling widely.

They silently agreed to take the long way back to the Hyūga compound, basking in the happiness they could only find when they were standing side by side.

x-x

"Are you fucking with us, Zetsu?" Hidan asked in disbelief of what he'd just heard.

 **"What reason would I have to joke about something like this?"** the homunculus issued an annoyed reply.

 _"I admit it is quite difficult to believe that Konoha was attacked by an outside force. Despite the timing, the village was at nearly full strength. Even Jiraiya of the Sannin was close enough to pose a significant threat,"_ the astral projection of Sasori commented.

The Akatsuki were once again assembled in one of their hideouts, though only Hidan and Kakuzu were physically present in this particular cave. In the center of the formation, Utakata was hovering above the cave floor, his skin cracking as the chakra of the Six-Tailed Slug was forcibly extracted. The hideout had already been used for the extraction of the Eight-Tailed Ox from Killer Bee, whose corpse was rotting in one of the deeper corners of the cave. The last minutes of the extraction ritual for the Rokubi were being spent on a heated debate over the fate of their enemies in Konoha.

 _"Who besides our leader could possibly take on the full power of a major hidden village and not only win, but completely tear it apart single-handed?"_ Sasori mused.

"The real question is why would they? What is the benefit to any rogue shinobi from such wanton destruction?" Kakuzu asked.

 _"Our business is not with this person or the reasons for their actions,"_ Pain's projection reminded the assembled group. _"What of the Kyūbi, Zetsu? Is its jinchūriki still in the village?"_

 **"That is probably the strangest part of this,"** Black Zetsu replied. **"Not only is the boy still there, he is now under the protection of the Hyūga Clan, who somehow escaped from the storm almost unscathed."**

 _"What of Yuzuki?"_ Itachi's projection asked. _"What became of her? Is she still guarding the child?"_ The questions came as a surprise to the rest of the Akatsuki. Itachi was normally the quietest member of their group.

 **"She was kidnapped by the same demon that destroyed the village. Along with three other kunoichi."** The homunculus' reply made Kakuzu visibly uneasy, and even Itachi struggled to suppress a reaction.

 _"Why would he take someone of such insignificance? The lady was emancipated from her clan and was only ranked as a genin. What's so important about her, hm?"_ Deidara's projection asked.

 _"You forget, Deidara, that Yuzuki was allowed custody of the Kyūbi,"_ Sasori snapped at his partner. _"That alone makes her a person of importance."_

 **"Whatever value you choose to assign to her is of no concern at this time,"** Black Zetsu interjected. **"I advise moving against the Kyūbi now, while Konoha is at its weakest. The destruction of Konoha has granted us a golden opportunity, and it would be foolish not to seize it."**

 _"Do not get ahead of yourself, Zetsu,"_ Itachi advised.

 _"Oh, what's this, Itachi-san? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were defending the brat,"_ Kisame's projection said with a toothy grin that, due to the nature of the jutsu they were using, only Itachi could see.

 _"Indeed,"_ Konan's projection commented, giving Itachi a cold stare. _"If there is an issue with capturing the Kyūbi at this time, speak now."_

 _"Do none of you find it odd that the demon which attacked Konoha did not take the Kyūbi with him?"_ Itachi asked.

"Nah, he obviously just wanted to get some hot bitches in the sack," Hidan joked, to precisely no effect.

 _"Am I the only one who notices that something about this turn of events is not right? First, there is the still unaddressed matter of Yuzuki being allowed to adopt the Kyūbi child. Our previous observations tell us that she has a unique ability to influence him. Then consider the new intel which states the demon assailant that destroyed Konoha took interest in her and not her surrogate son. Even if you choose to disregard this mystery, remember that from all indications, both Jiraiya and Tsunade survived the recent attack, along with most of Konoha's elite shinobi."_

"Why should we care, Itachi?" Kakuzu asked. "She is only a Hyūga, one who does not even have an entry in the Bingo Book. Not even the price the Byakugan would net on the black market makes it worthwhile to target her."

 _"The fact she was close to the Kyūbi and training him is more than enough reason to care."_

 _"Enough,"_ Pain commanded. _"The last time this issue was brought up, Itachi, I gave you a warning. There is zero tolerance for subversive activity. Do not test me again. At this point, I am removing you and Kisame from your previous assignment to capture the Kyūbi and reassigning you to capture the Yonbi. You will not be allowed to continue your investigations in the matter until the Yonbi has been acquired. And if we have not captured the Kyūbi by that time, you will still not be permitted to go near him."_ Itachi remained silent; he understood Pain's threat, but would not acknowledge it. _"Hidan and Kakuzu. The two of you fought the Kyūbi inside the Demon Desert and have the best knowledge of his current abilities. Once the extraction ceremony is complete and the bounty on the Rokubi jinchūriki is claimed, head to Konoha and acquire the Kyūbi. We will take full advantage of their moment of weakness."_

"Understood, Leader," Kakuzu said.

x-x

Shortly afterward, the last of the Rokubi's chakra was extracted from Utakata and his corpse fell to the cave floor. The astral projections of the other Akatsuki members vanished, while Zetsu sank into the ground to do his usual rounds of intelligence gathering. Kakuzu threw Utakata over his shoulder and signaled for Hidan to follow. This hideout was officially compromised; with their increased activity it was only a matter of time before it would be discovered.

"This sucks big-time," Hidan groaned. "That self-righteous prick just had to deny us payback for the blasphemy in the desert."

"This is one of the rare times when I am in agreement with you," Kakuzu replied. "Our leader should have issued a kill order. The Kyūbi jinchūriki is too great of a threat to keep alive."

"Damn straight." Hidan took out a new retractable spear and swung it around in his right hand as they left the cave and started towards the bounty station. "Can't help but wonder about the slaughterfest in Konoha, though. What do you think happened?"

"Why do you assume that I would know?"

Hidan put away his spear, put his hands behind his head and shrugged. "You were pretty tense during that meeting." Kakuzu said nothing, but noticeably tensed up further, verifying his observation. "Wonder why that is..."

"I might have a theory," Kakuzu said after the prodding from his extremist partner.

"Do you now? Do tell," Hidan pushed further.

"Why should I bother? It would only be lost on your feeble mind."

"What? Come on, Kakuzu! Spit it out!"

Kakuzu's response to that was to jump ahead and take to the tree branches, leaving Hidan behind to yell, curse, and chase after him. The litany of profanities from Hidan continued for the entirety of their journey towards the bounty station.

"For all your agility in battle, it amazes me to see how slow and cumbersome you are outside of it," Kakuzu jabbed at Hidan after he caught up. "Now shut up," he added, clamping his hand to Hidan's mouth and muffling the Jashinist's usual complaints. He only removed his hand once Hidan noticed the look in his eyes.

"Now what's the matter with you?" Hidan whispered. Kakuzu again said nothing, but just walked inside the office to speak to Zangei, leaving Hidan to assume that his partner's worry was over the conversation from earlier.

"Ah, if it isn't Kakuzu," Zangei greeted the Treasurer of Akatsuki. "Wow, is that Utakata?" he asked, and Kakuzu lifted the corpse's head to verify. Zangei whistled in appreciation. "You always bring me the best."

"Indeed?" Kakuzu said.

"Well, unfortunately the five million ryō bounty on Utakata was only for a live capture, but you brought him here dead. Give me a few minutes to check the books and see how much he's worth as a corpse."

"I don't think so," Kakuzu let out a guttural growl as he unceremoniously dropped the corpse to the floor. "Earth Style: Earth Spear!" he shouted, punching Zangei with his right arm that, due to the effects of the jutsu was rendered harder than diamond. Zangei went flying through the wall behind him, and Kakuzu followed him through the hole, then straddled him. "That's a very advanced Transformation you're using, but it doesn't disguise the evil chakra I felt emanating from you when I arrived here."

'Zangei' chuckled. **"Once again, you've impressed me, Kakuzu,"** the impostor said, and Kakuzu instantly recognized the evil voice. **"As much as I wanna spare you, there's just one small problem."** After saying that, 'Zangei' disappeared in a smoke cloud. A second later, Kakuzu's eyes widened when the impostor—who was none other than Dark Naruto—revealed himself and created a black spinning chakra orb.

 **"You just keep pissing me off!"** Dark Naruto shouted, aiming the Black Rasengan at Kakuzu's face.

x-x

 **Editor's Note: We've noticed a substantial increase in flaming directed at the entire fandom from both registered and guest reviewers. We've also noticed that the admins here don't want to do anything about it. They are far too lax, even allowing certain users to get away with posting death threats to other users** _ **on their fucking profile pages!**_ **The admins need to take responsibility, for once, to put a stop to this abusive behavior and keep the majority of this site's users content.**

 **With that mini-rant out of the way...**

 **Ramen recipes should be required reading for anyone who wants to write a good multi-chapter _Naruto_ fan fiction, IMO. The recipe that was used in this chapter was for gluten-free instant noodles; it should be one of the first recipes that shows up on a Google search. That aside, I really don't have much to say about this chapter.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Flameraven: ...now you're giving the author ideas that are making him rethink some of his plans for the post-climax.**

 **The problem with the Hyūga Clan in Tsunade's eyes in this fic, as she tries to point out after Hiashi explains his plan to use Naruto and Hinata's relationship to trigger certain reforms in his clan, is the sheer number of secrets the clan is keeping. Every clan may have its secrets, but the Hyūga come off as carrying a lot more secrets than every other clan, and some of their secrets involve potential world-ending threats (such as Toneri). It's partly because of this that Tsunade is so distrustful of Hiashi. As for the other issue, it is one that applies to all the other clans as well as the Hyūga. Jinchūriki are viewed as the ultimate weapons among shinobi. Giving ANY clan custodianship over an orphaned jinchūriki such as Naruto is a move that can cause major internal strife, no matter how loyal that clan is to the village, and is generally considered bad for both security and politics. This doesn't change the fact that Tsunade had her ass handed to her on a silver platter in that confrontation.**

 **Hektols: I don't believe the "universal chakra donor" trait Naruto has is officially classified as a Kekkei Genkai, but yes, it is a shame to see that it is still underused in fanfics that either started or updated since 2013. However, I believe you are wrong about Sakura having a "pivotal role" in the creation of Dark Naruto as a separate personality of Naruto. Dark Naruto was born of the hatred and resentment Naruto held in his heart towards almost EVERYONE in Konoha for treating him as a pariah, while his future self's** **reemergence in the Impure World and later on, his transformation into a demon** **was effected by the regrets he felt over the things he couldn't resolve before he died. Sakura is merely a more convenient target for the blame because of the way Naruto himself treated her during their childhoods: from Sakura's perspective, Naruto saw her as** _ **a trophy to be won**_ **(** **she believes Naruto only pursued her as a love interest** **because she was in love with Sasuke), which would explain why Sakura was violent towards him. Although it must be noted that some filler material (** _ **Road to Ninja**_ **specifically) suggests that Naruto secretly wanted Sakura to suffer for the way she treated him.**

 **NarHina: While it is true that Tragedy primarily focuses on human suffering, in the greatest examples of the genre the characters involved need to have specific flaws that lead to a fatal conclusion.**

 **Hiashi is strict at his core, but tries to be caring towards his family even though his position as the clan head gets in the way. He does have jerkass tendencies in Part 1, but they are explained in part by the Caged Bird Cursed Seal and the Hyūga Affair tearing apart his family. Admittedly, the inclusion of the Keikaku is pure fanon, even if it is one of the more "sensible" fan memes and one of the best memes in the fandom. Overall, Hiashi seems like the kind of person who would always try to act for the greater good. The author thinks his mindset may be somewhat similar to Hokage!Naruto's in this regard. But Hiashi is not immune to being pressured into making choices that go against this. In the OTL of this fic, Naruto's death (which completely destroyed the Keikaku) and Hinata's grieving coupled with his clansmen demanding Sasuke's execution was too much for Hiashi to handle, and he ultimately succumbed to the pressure from his clan, which led to making the fatal mistake that triggered the shinobi world's total collapse. And in canon, the clan's elders are shown to have a voice that is occasionally powerful enough to overrule Hiashi and/or force him to make certain decisions: the main examples of this are when Hizashi sacrificed himself willingly after the Fourth Raikage demanded to be given Hiashi's dead body as recompense for the killing of his Head Ninja (the main elder aka Hiashi's father suggested the swap, which Hiashi did not want), and when Hinata was stripped of her title as heiress. Fanon takes this too far more often than not, though.**

 **A the Fourth did the same thing in this story that he did in canon by demanding a meeting of all the Kage to combat the threat of Akatsuki after his brother Killer Bee was taken; it's just that the scene where he showed a personal vendetta against Akatsuki for B's capture was off-screened. As for the Five Kage Summit in the altered timeline...no spoilers, but we can promise that while some parts might be similar to the canon/OTL Summit, other parts will be radically different.**

 **A/N: Hello my good readers. First off, I agree with my editor when he says the admins need to be doing their damn job. I mean, come on, this whole website has fallen into anarchy. Moving on, though. Let's talk about this chapter. My two favorite scenes were the Dark Naruto/Yuzuki angst in the hideout and the apartment scene for their past selves. My editor will probably get mad at me for saying this but I was able to moisten his eyes with the apartment scene. Not an easy feat since he has an ice cold heart lol j/k. But now we are getting to the good parts of this arc, which means fights! Lots and lots of fights. Now I'm sure you all are wondering "oh Dark Naruto is immortal, has limitless chakra and can't be physically harmed unless certain conditions are met; couldn't he just storm the Akatsuki hideout and wipe them all out single handed?" To be honest, that was the original plan, but my editor reminded me that certain Akatsuki members (Itachi in particular) have very high level sealing techniques that even Dark Naruto wouldn't be able to break out of. Sealing and killing are two different things after all, so the plan changed to have him take them out one pair at a time. I'll try not to drag out each fight 'cause I do want to keep the story moving forward but an extension of the main story is unavoidable at this point. Anyway I hope you all enjoy the chapter and please leave a review!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Warning: more gore and probably some other triggers.**

x-x

 **Chapter 18: A State of Affairs**

Before the deadly ball of chakra could strike Kakuzu, Dark Naruto was kicked away by Hidan. The Jashinist was laughing manically, giving the yōkai a look of pure malice.

"Bwahahahaha! I don't know how or why, but you have the same chakra as that other nonbeliever I fought in the desert! I shall truly enjoy sacrificing you to Jashin-sama as retribution for your sacrilegious acts that day!"

"Hidan, don't be a reckless idiot!" Kakuzu tried to warn his partner, but Hidan was already lunging at the yōkai, still laughing. Predictably, the suicide attack backfired. Hidan found himself frozen in midair, unable to move anything that wasn't his vocal cords, and having some trouble even with them.

"What...what is this?" Hidan struggled to say.

 **"Hmm,"** Dark Naruto thought aloud, wondering why he hadn't rendered Hidan speechless when he rendered him immobile. **"Looks like I forgot to shut that big mouth of yours. Oh well. It's probably better that I didn't. After all, now I get to enjoy hearing you scream."**

On the sidelines, Kakuzu was baffled. He'd known Hidan's usual "tactics" were going to fail, but he had absolutely no idea what had happened. The only techniques that could possibly produce such an effect, as far as he was aware, was either the Rinnegan possessed by the Akatsuki's leader or the Magnet Style, but there was no possible way their opponent could have either of those kekkei genkai. Not if his suspicions about their attacker's identity were correct.

 _'How did this demon stop my idiot partner in mid-air? What in the world is going on?'_ As Kakuzu was trying to assess Dark Naruto's abilities, the latter walked up to the former's partner, wearing a large grin underneath his hood.

 **"Where is your god now?"** Dark Naruto said, reveling in the rage directed at him from the Jashinist. **"It looks as if he has abandoned you."** Another ball of black chakra quickly formed in his right hand. However, he was halted by a full blast of lightning directed at him from Kakuzu. The attack would not have harmed him in any way, but the fact he was still being delayed from getting rid of Hidan once and for all annoyed him to no end.

 **"You are really starting to get on my nerves, Kakuzu,"** the yōkai muttered as he dodged the False Darkness attack, not wanting to reveal his invulnerability this soon. By choosing to evade, he was forced to release Hidan from his invisible bonds. **"I offered to spare your life, and this is your reply?"**

"How dare you mock and humiliate me like that!" Hidan yelled, delaying Kakuzu from speaking. "With Jashin-sama as my witness, I will kill you, motherfucker!"

"Shut the hell up, Hidan," Kakuzu ordered/snapped at his partner. "As for you..." his voice trailed off as he turned back to face the yōkai. "That evil chakra I felt from your shadow clone is very distinct, and very familiar. You must be the entity who possessed the Kyūbi jinchūriki when we tried to capture him in the Demon Desert."

 **"You could say that,"** Dark Naruto said cryptically. **"There really isn't any point in explaining it to you, since you're gonna be as dead as I used to be soon."**

"Why you—!" Hidan resumed yelling, but Kakuzu held him back, this time using the tentacles interwoven throughout his flesh to do so.

"Are you so dead set on finding a way to get yourself killed?"

"Kill me? You've tried to kill me enough times to know I can't die, Kakuzu! But I'd love to see this heathen bastard try! Then I'll revel in his despair as he realizes the folly of opposing the chosen of Jashin-sama!"

Dark Naruto couldn't help but laugh at Hidan's boasting. **"Does your immortality not protect you from brain damage, or are you truly that stupid?"**

"If you don't calm down right this instant, I swear on my vast fortune that I'll just let him kill you," Kakuzu warned Hidan for the last time.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Hidan screamed, pulling himself free of his restraints and lunging at the yōkai. Dark Naruto just gave him an evil smile.

 **"You are the worst kind of fool,"** Dark Naruto whispered. He pulled out a longsword out from the sheath strapped to his left side. At first it looked like an ordinary sword that could be acquired from any blacksmith, but the sword was quickly enveloped by his evil chakra, causing the metal to turn pitch black. Dark Naruto entered an offensive stance, putting his weight on his left leg and pointing the sword at Hidan.

What happened next, happened so quickly that Kakuzu could not keep track of the yōkai's movements with his eyes. And what he did register visually, was beyond belief.

 **"Wind Style: Demon Wind Cutter!"** Dark Naruto completely vanished from sight using only raw speed. As he did, the space where he had once stood was warped. A few seconds later, he rematerialized behind Hidan and sheathed his sword, and as he did, Hidan's body was blasted with thousands of wind bursts striking him from every possible angle simultaneously. His arms and legs—or what was left of them—flew off in several different directions while his torso was slashed into so many pieces it was as though it had disintegrated, leaving his head to bounce off the ground and roll towards Kakuzu.

 _'That is impossible,'_ Kakuzu observed. _'His movements were so fast that they distorted the space around him. Not even the Yellow Flash was that fast.'_

"I'm not dead yet, asshole!" Hidan shouted, somehow still finding it in him to taunt his adversary. "Don't you get it? You can't kill me!"

Kakuzu glared at the disembodied head of his partner and growled. "Do you never listen to my warnings?"

"Just shut up and put me back together!"

 **"I don't think that's gonna happen anytime soon,"** Dark Naruto pointed out while methodically walking towards Kakuzu. **"My jutsu attacked your body at the cellular level. How can Kakuzu stitch you back up if most of the pieces are too small to be seen?"**

 _'The demon is right,'_ Kakuzu continued to observe. _'Even if he backed down and allowed us a chance to recover, there is no possible way anyone could locate and gather all the pieces of Hidan's torso, never mind possess the necessary chakra to put them back together.'_

 **"That curse of his is pretty impressive, though,"** the yōkai continued, now addressing Kakuzu and ignoring Hidan for the time being. **"I already knew that attack wouldn't kill him. Still, I had to try. And besides, I think you and I can agree that he's already met a fate worse than death, yes?"**

"You speak as though you have some experience with the matter," Kakuzu answered the question—his doing so was an obvious attempt to stall for time.

"What are you doing, Kakuzu? Just hurry up and kill him!" Hidan yelled. Dark Naruto continued to ignore his screams and pulled out a kunai kept concealed under his left sleeve.

 **"You could say that. In fact, you could even say that meeting with death really isn't so bad at all."**

"You would personify death?" Kakuzu tried to draw out the conversation. The continued effort to stall drew out a deep sigh from the yōkai, who knelt down to look Hidan's head in the eyes.

 **"Don't insult my intelligence, Kakuzu. I know you're stalling. I only chose to entertain you because it suited me to do so."**

"And I am only letting you finish off my idiot partner because he has obviously outlived his usefulness," which they both knew was a lie, but only insofar as Kakuzu would claim to permit the yōkai to finish what he started, "so let's cut to the chase. Why are you after the bijū? Why did you destroy Konoha? What is your endgame?"

Dark Naruto paused for a moment, but not to ponder Kakuzu's questions. He stopped only to drink in the look of betrayal on Hidan's face before bringing the kunai down onto his scalp. It was a look he would savor for the rest of eternity.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Hidan screamed. "Kill this psychotic bastard, Kakuzu! Kill him! KILL HIM! KILL—"

Kakuzu only watched as Hidan went silent after Dark Naruto yanked the kunai out of Hidan's skull and something gray came flying out. The yōkai dropped the now lifeless head and walked over to where the Jashinist's brain landed, then slammed his foot down on the brain, squashing it.

 **"Keep telling yourselves that,"** Dark Naruto whispered. **"Keep trying to believe the lies you spread."** With one immortal permanently incapacitated, he turned back around to dispatch the other, who was looking at him with equal parts horror and disgust after witnessing his brutality.

"You monster..." Kakuzu whispered, his voice uncharacteristically low.

 **"It takes one to know one. Besides, you're the one who said that he outlived his usefulness."** Dark Naruto smirked under his cowl. **"But Hidan was right about one thing. I can't kill him. Even now, he's technically still alive, but as the saying goes, the lights are on, but nobody's home."**

Kakuzu only took a brief glance at Hidan's head, or what was left of it. A blank look was almost permanently frozen on Hidan's face, with only a slight twitch of his eyelids to indicate that the curse of Jashin was still keeping him alive. Blood and drool were seeping from his mouth. Hidan was left in a vegetable state, and would remain that way long after his body started to decompose.

 **"Now, about your questions,"** Dark Naruto continued, **"well, I suppose I could be the idiot again just long enough to answer them.**

 **"You see, here's the thing. The propaganda your boss spouts about achieving world domination through controlling the market for shinobi missions does not in any way reflect his true intentions. Your figurehead, Nagato Uzumaki, whom almost everyone knows better as Pain; he means to use the power of the tailed beasts to create a super-weapon to destroy the Five Great Shinobi Nations and make the survivors understand the meaning of pain. The guy controlling Pain, the one who calls himself Madara Uchiha, plans to use the tailed beasts to subjugate the entire planet, trapping every living person inside an endless dream. Project Tsuki no Me is what he calls it. And both of those plans suck, y'know?**

 **"But as for me...I already told you what my goals are, back in the desert. I won't just destroy the current system; I'll replace it with something better, something eternal. The shinobi of this world can keep their hate under my reign, because they will never be able to act on it. Peace will be brought by obedience. Obedience will only be brought by one thing, and that one thing is the reason I exist.**

 **"Remember this well, Kakuzu, for it will be the last time you hear it before I kill you. My plan for this world, my desire, is nothing less than...a _revolution."_**

x-x

"Kō-san, what are you doing out here?" Hinata asked. "You shouldn't be at the gates."

"After Naruto-san knocked out most of the guards, Hiashi-sama temporarily reassigned me to carry out their duty," Kō explained while glaring at Naruto, who nervously chuckled and scratched the back of his head with his free arm.

"Eh heh heh...sorry about that," Naruto said. Kō shook his head.

"Anyway, Hiashi-sama is waiting for the two of you in his study. Hinata-sama, I trust that Naruto-san will not create any further incidents?"

"Do not worry about Naruto-kun, Kō-san. I will take care of him," Hinata said to her bodyguard. Kō nodded and opened the gate to let them enter the compound. Hinata walked inside slowly, since she was still supporting the weight of Naruto due to his injuries.

"Just great," Naruto grumbled while Hinata led them towards Hiashi's private chambers. "Your old man probably wants to lecture me or something..."

Hinata shook her head. "I don't think that's the only reason..." she said, but let her voice trail off and did not respond any further. She knew her father well enough to know there was an ulterior motive at work, just as she knew that even when Hiashi was charitable he had difficulties with not letting those motives taint that generosity. Now that Naruto was here at the compound...something else was definitely going on, and she needed to find out what it was.

In all, it took them about seven minutes of complete silence to walk from the front gates to the clan head's study. Neji was waiting outside, and only gave them a brief nod before sliding the door open to allow them entrance. Hiashi was sitting down with a book in his right hand, and several stacks of paperwork in front of him. But to Hinata's surprise, Hanabi was also in the room, seated to the right of Hiashi, and she was waving at and smiling at her. Hinata was also surprised to see that Hanabi was wearing her training clothes—tan vest jacket over a dark blue v-neck shirt and mesh armor, plus dark blue sweatpants and white wristbands—instead of more formal attire.

"Uzumaki-san," Hiashi addressed the blond who had caused his clan so many headaches. "If you have reined in your emotions, then please, be seated," indicating the two zabuton positioned across from him at the short table. "You and my elder daughter must have many questions, which I shall answer to the best of my ability."

"I don't wanna hear what you have to say," Naruto said flatly.

Hiashi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What is it that you do not wish to hear?"

"I don't care why you brought me here or what you're planning to use me for. I won't do it."

"I see. You are not as ignorant of politics as one would assume based on observations of your normal behavior," Hiashi said with a slight hint of respect in his voice.

"Of course I'm not! Ero-sennin taught me a bit while I was gone." Naruto sighed wistfully, while Hanabi snickered at his disrespectful, yet highly accurate nickname for Jiraiya. He quickly turned back to complaining by adding, "Then again, I think he spent more time on that boring stuff than he did on my training..."

"You can rest assured that I will not allow your training, either physical or mental, to be neglected while you remain our honored guest. Now, I must insist that you take a seat."

"Naruto-san," Neji interjected before Naruto could spout off more objections, "I understand your doubts about my uncle. However, I must insist that you address him with the proper respect, for your sake, and more importantly for Hinata's sake."

"And what are you gonna do if I don't?" Naruto challenged. "The last thing this old man deserves is respect, especially after what he did to you and Hinata."

"So that is what this is about, Uzumaki-san," Hiashi coolly observed. "You have not let go of your grudge from your first Chūnin Exams. That is fine, as long as you do not attempt to create any dissent among our ranks. This _family,"_ he stressed, "cannot afford to have the person who was responsible for bringing us back together trying to undo the progress for which he is responsible. That is my first and most important expectation for you to meet during your stay here, Uzumaki-san. Now sit, or I will have Neji and Hinata force you to sit." Begrudgingly, Naruto obeyed, though the scowl never left his face as he and Hinata sat down in front of Hiashi, allowing Neji to do the same and position himself to Hiashi's left.

"Let me be clear on this," the Hyūga patriarch continued. "I have no plans to use you to further any of my clan's political agendas or anything of that nature, Naruto-san," he smoothly switched his form of address towards the social pariah. "However, you will not believe me if I make the claim that I took you in out of the kindness of my heart. So until Yuzuki-san returns to Konoha, there are other expectations I will have of you while you are our guest."

"Like what?" Naruto growled.

Hiashi sighed deeply; Naruto's tone was starting to vex him. "As you are aware, my younger daughter Hanabi is to succeed me as clan head when she is of age. She and I are required to attend various functions together, both here and outside of Konohagakure. The Hyūga Clan has many connections to daimyō and koshaku across the continent, and maintains alliances with clans that do not reside in a major shinobi village. From time to time, there will be meetings that will require you and Hinata to attend together, as a show of good faith."

"Why should I have to go to one of your meetings if I'm not part of your clan?"

"Let me answer that question with another, that is designed to make you think. Have you ever asked yourself where the merchants that do business in Konoha come from? How they are permitted entry inside the village and obtain licenses to sell products?"

Not only did Naruto not answer that question at first, the glare on his face vanished and was replaced by a momentary flash of pain. Hiashi had inadvertently forced him to remember an incident from his childhood which he would have rather stayed forgotten.

"Are you remembering that incident, Naruto-san?" Hanabi asked. "The one with the fox mask?"

"Uh, yeah," Naruto snapped out of the painful reverie and answered. "How did you know?"

"My caretaker Natsu-san and I were in the crowd that was watching it happen," the younger Hyūga sister explained. "I was wondering why they hated you so much, but Natsu-san only told me that I should stay away from you. But I couldn't listen to her. When Ane-ue used to sneak out of the compound to watch you train by yourself, I also left to watch, even though I was mainly spying on her to figure out why she was so fixated on you."

"After Natsu-san returned Hanabi to the compound, she was required to inform me of the events that transpired during their trip to the commercial district," Hiashi added. "When she mentioned the incident between you and that merchant, I immediately reported it to Sandaime-sama, and the merchant was thrown out of the village that same day." Naruto gave Hiashi a look of confusion, not understanding why the clan head would go out of his way to do anything for him. Wasn't Hiashi supposed to have hated him back then, just like everyone else in the village?

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said, also seeing how Naruto was affected by all of this, "is everything okay?"

"Huh?" Naruto turned to face Hinata and was warmed by the concern she gave him. "Oh. Don't worry about it, okay? I just wanna get this meeting over with so we can do something better together." Hinata nodded, but was not able to stop herself from blushing at the potential implications of her boyfriend's words as she turned the conversation back over to her father.

"The documents you are about to see all relate to village economics," Hiashi said, taking several sheets off the stack in front of him and placing them in front of the others. "Contracts with merchant and manufacturing guilds, graphs detailing an individual clan's contributions to the economy, and so forth. The contracts with the various guilds, which permit them to conduct business inside Konoha, must be renewed periodically. However, sometimes these contracts do not get renewed. When a contract is either made or broken, the decision is largely dependent on clan influence."

"Huh? That doesn't make any sense!" Naruto yelled.

"It makes perfect sense," Hanabi said. "Merchants need the backing of prominent clans in order to obtain licenses to sell goods inside a shinobi village. Of course, the Hokage is required to oversee these contracts and intervene when necessary to prevent merchants from conducting any illegal activity. But basically, the legal market is a bidding war between each clan."

"I still don't know what that has to do with me."

"But if that is the case, how does the black market remain stable? Surely no major clan would back the distribution of illegal goods, at least not when it does not suit their interests," Hinata pointed out, doing so for Naruto's understanding as much as her own.

"There have been occasions when certain major clans such as the Uchiha performed most of their business transactions illegally," Neji said. "Those examples notwithstanding, the black market is largely sustained by smaller, less reputable entities." He then stood briefly and unrolled a scroll onto the table. "This scroll dates back seven years and is a record of contributions to the village economy that were made by the major clans of Konoha for that fiscal year. The first chart is a pie graph. The red slice indicates the percentage of goods contributed by the Uchiha Clan's legitimate contracts, while the other slices represent the contributions from the Hyūga Clan, the Inuzuka Clan, the Aburame Clan, the Sarutobi Clan, the triumvirate of the Yamanaka, Akimichi and Nara Clans, and lastly, the minor shinobi clans and significant civilian entities that do not hold contracts with a major clan."

"The Uchiha's contribution is small," Hanabi observed. "With all the suspicion they were placed under, it's no wonder that they were losing business before they were killed off. But the Inuzuka's contribution is pretty small as well. Why is that?"

"That is because the Inuzuka are far more specialized in their contributions, Hanabi-sama. Due to their hiden techniques focusing on cooperation between human and ninken, it makes sense that the Inuzuka Clan would primarily focus on animal care products."

"Let us go back to the black market issue now," Hiashi said. "Hinata is correct in pointing out that under normal circumstances, major clans would not risk being caught supporting the black market out of fear of tarnishing their reputation." He pulled another scroll out from under the table and opened it, laying it out on top of the first scroll. "Nonetheless, it is only prudent that we keep track of those transactions as well, to the best of our ability. This scroll details our observations of the black market."

The names of the clans printed on the second scroll were in a smaller font than normal. Hinata had to squint her eyes to catch certain names among them. "The Shiin and Fūma Clans? Aren't they among the clans Orochimaru exploited in Ta no Kuni (the Land of Rice Fields)?"

"That is correct," Hiashi answered. "Naruto-san, if I am not mistaken, I believe you were assigned a mission to that region shortly after the failure of the mission to stop Sasuke from deserting Konoha?"

"Yeah, that's right," Naruto answered, albeit reluctantly. "Me and Sakura-chan didn't stop pestering Tsunade-bā-chan to give us another mission to find Sasuke and make him come home, so she gave in and had Ero-sennin take us there. While we were there, we ran into a few people from the Fūma Clan and helped them get free from that bastard Orochimaru."

"That could explain why their presence on the black market has decreased recently," Hiashi observed.

"Alright, I think I'm starting to get it, but you haven't told me yet why I need to be in these meetings. I'm not a Hyūga, y'know."

"But you are a very important guest here, unarguably more important than even Hanabi-sama and Hinata-sama," Neji pointed out.

"Is that because I'm a jinchūriki?" Naruto asked with disgust. When Neji did not answer, he turned his foul mood back on Hiashi and said in a sarcastic tone, "That sounds real smart of you to tell them that."

Hiashi sighed deeply and turned to face his nephew and younger daughter. "You two are dismissed," he said to them. "This discussion has just turned into a more private matter."

"Oji-sama, you are not going to tell them what we discussed at the hospital?" Neji asked.

"Leave us." Hiashi's tone left no room for argument, but his eyes gave Neji just enough of the answer he sought.

"Argh," Hanabi complained as she and Neji left the study. "Just when things were getting interesting, too," she said after closing the door, leaving Hiashi alone with his elder daughter and her chosen suitor, who were looking at him with curiosity/scorn, respectively.

"Otō-sama? What did you and Neji-nii-san talk about while Naruto-kun and I were at the hospital?" Hinata asked.

Hiashi paused to take yet another deep breath and steel himself for what he was about to say next. _'I must not force this. For the sake of the clan, and more importantly, for the sake of my daughter and the boy she loves, this must be handled delicately.'_ "You need not worry about your secret being spread involuntarily, Naruto-san. Kami-sama knows it was handled badly enough as is." Hiashi then turned to match Naruto's glare with a stronger one as he said, "Naruto, the reason it is important for you to attend these meetings is because you will be introduced as Hinata's fiancé."

Hinata's face instantly turned beet red at her father's declaration. _'F-fiancé? What is Otō-sama thinking?'_

Naruto, on the other hand, was baffled. "Uh, what's a fiancé?" he asked. A still heavily blushing Hinata snapped around to look at him, surprised by his confusion, but was more surprised when she heard her father laugh for a few seconds. Adding onto the confusion was the fact his laugh sounded genuine.

"You poor boy," Hiashi said, quickly switching back to the usual stoic façade. "Shame on me for forgetting just how badly your growth was stunted as a child. Hinata, would you please explain it to him?"

"B-but, Otō-sama, I—"

"I am fully aware of your concerns, but we cannot continue this conversation if Naruto-san does not understand our current predicament. Now, if you would be so kind as to give him an explanation." Hinata hesitantly nodded and moved closer to Naruto, nudging him softly to get his attention.

"Hinata, what's going on? What's this 'fiancé' thing your old man's talking about?" Naruto asked, still truly confused. "And why is it bothering you so much?"

Hinata leaned in towards Naruto's ear and started whispering, "Um, well...a fiancé is..." and Naruto had to crane his neck towards her slightly to make sure he heard her quiet explanation. After about a minute or so, he started blushing even deeper than Hinata and jumped off the zabuton he was seated on, pointing an accusing finger at Hiashi.

"Now wait just a minute! Why the hell would Hinata or myself agree to that?!"

"I must apologize, Naruto-san. I was unaware that my elder daughter was not good enough for you," Hiashi said, baiting Naruto in a way that was so obvious even Naruto could not fail to take it.

"Not good enough? Of course she's good enough! Hell, she's almost too good for me! I love her, but you can't just—"

"Yes, I can. Arranged marriages, while they have diminished in frequency over time, are still a common occurrence in our world. But since the two of you are in love with one another, which is a rarity in these arrangements, then I do not see what the problem is, as long as Hinata does not have any objections."

While Naruto and Hiashi argued, Hinata was squirming in her seat, struggling not to faint. Everything was happening much too fast for her to handle. She had always hoped that she and Naruto would be married and start their own family one day, and sometimes would space out in the middle of the day dreaming of the prospect, but the way it was happening now, being forced on them by her father, was _not_ how she had pictured it happening.

"Um..." Hinata tried to say, but the words kept escaping her. Hiashi sighed.

"Hinata, you must speak clearly. Do not stumble over your thoughts."

Hinata took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves, but it was to little effect. "I don't exactly...object to this, but it's just that..."

Another sigh came with the acceptance that this was all Hiashi would be able to get out of her in her present mental state. "You are worried that this is happening too fast, yes?" he asked the question Hinata could not, and she quickly nodded. "There is no need to worry. I am simply proposing a plausible eventuality. Whether or not the two of you remain enamored with each other in the future is your choice. It is not uncommon for engaged or married couples to stay together for years, only to have a change of heart."

Hinata's head shot up at that last comment and she gave Hiashi an angry look. She knew he was trying to provoke Naruto, but did not see how that would help them. _'What are you doing, Otō-sama? Are you trying to push me and Naruto-kun together or drive us apart? I can't tell!'_

"Like hell that'll happen!" Naruto shouted, grabbing Hinata's wrist and pulling her up to embrace her, all while staring down the Hyūga patriarch. "I told you, I love Hinata and if I have to be her fiancé or whatever it is you call it to prove it, then fine!"

For an ever so brief moment, almost too brief for Naruto to see, Hiashi grinned at him. _'Just the reaction I expected from you, Naruto.'_ "As I said, it doesn't matter to me if you should change your mind later. However, I must confess that taking you in has worsened my standing with both Hokage-sama and the clan's elders, Naruto-san. Unless I can provide the elders a reason why you, a non-Hyūga, have been placed under my protection, and do so in a language they are more readily able to understand, their response has the potential to negatively impact both your recovery and my family's reputation."

"I don't care about your reputation, but how will it hurt Hinata if I'm not engaged to her?"

Hiashi again met and exceeded Naruto's glare. "It is time to lay down the hard facts. Aside from most of the children in this clan, there is not a single Hyūga who does not know about your status as a jinchūriki. It will be completely impossible for me to hide your presence on our grounds from the elders, most of whom still hate both you and Hinata. Even though I am the clan head and they must obey my will, there is only so much I can do to make them see reason. They are too strongly set in their misguided beliefs. I cannot put it past them to try to punish Hinata simply because of her feelings for you. Nor can I put it past them to try to exploit you for their benefit once it sinks in that you are in our custody. If they are made to accept that the two of you are to be wed, they will have no choice but to back down, lest they themselves should be faced with a severe penalty."

"So you are using the engagement between Naruto-kun and myself to stall the elders?" Hinata asked.

"If that does not work, I am more than willing to have them sealed and replaced with more reasonable counsel." Both Hinata and Naruto flinched at that declaration, eliciting yet another sigh from the clan head. "I know how much you hate the seal. It has torn this clan apart since its inception. It tore my family apart until Naruto-san helped push me to start mending the tears. Invoking the threat of the seal against the elders to protect you is a last resort, but I will go to any and all lengths to ensure your protection and your happiness." The admission made Hinata gasp, while Naruto's glare vanished and he, too, looked at Hiashi with softer eyes and in a new light. Naruto wasn't about to start trusting Hiashi yet...but he was beginning to see that there might be some truth to the claim that Hiashi had changed.

"That being said, it is regrettable that I must continue to balance your happiness against the needs of the clan and the village," Hiashi continued. "The engagement will stall the elders, but that is not the only good it will do. Once the merchant guilds are informed of your engagement, they may want to use the wedding as a means to generate increased revenue, thereby hastening the recovery process for Konoha. The guilds will not see Naruto-san as the Kyūbi jinchūriki, but as one of the last surviving members of a once prominent clan. The wedding itself should also help boost morale in this village." In all, it was a calculated risk, and one that was far riskier than normal. Naruto's reputation among the villagers of Konoha had been improving over time, but recent events would have certainly inflicted fresh damage. Still, those whose opinions of Naruto had changed would throw their support behind him. That unity would go a long way towards showing that Konoha would rise again.

For several long moments afterward, Hinata and Naruto remained silent, trying to process everything Hiashi had said to them. What they had told Hiashi about their feelings was true: they really did love each other, and that was not going to change. But they still did not like that they were being compelled to make this decision now, rather than wait until they were ready.

"Fine," Naruto said. "I'll do it if for no other reason than it's partly my fault the village ended up like this, but only if Hinata agrees."

Hinata gasped. She had thought Naruto would put up more resistance to being forced into this. Naruto was accepting it just a little too easily. "Are you sure about this, Naruto-kun? You shouldn't have to, that is, if you don't want to..."

Naruto pulled her close again and tenderly stroked her hair. "I don't know much about this stuff, but I do know it's supposed to be more special than this. Once this is all over and things start getting better, I'll find a way to ask you properly, okay?" Hinata nodded into his shoulder and tried to relax in his arms.

"Good," Hiashi said, finally standing up and clasping his hands. "Please escort yourselves to the guest house and change into some proper attire. The head of one of the merchant guilds will arrive shortly to assess the damage to the village. We must give him our best showing."

"But all my clothes got torn up," Naruto complained.

"That has already been taken care of." Hiashi opened the door and gestured for them to leave. "You are dismissed. I must also make preparations for tonight's meeting."

It was not two seconds after Naruto and Hinata left that Neji, who had decided to wait outside the door and listen in on the entire conversation, walked back inside the study. "How long will you keep the real reason why you want Hinata-sama and Naruto to marry from them, Oji-sama?"

Hiashi's eyes lingered on the retreating forms of his daughter and her chosen suitor for a few seconds longer before answering, "As I told Tsunade, if they are to learn of my motives for pushing them together at this time it would greatly hurt their relationship. One day they will understand why this was hidden from them. But for now, Neji, you must attend to them."

"Yes, Oji-sama..."

x-x

Kakuzu had quickly decided that this demon was trying to make a bad joke. What he proposed was just too absurd. Not only was his cockamamie plan totally implausible, it went completely against his nature. Nor did Kakuzu believe the demon's allegations of the true plans of Akatsuki, if only because those supposed plans were not founded in pragmatism.

 **"You've already convinced yourself that I'm lying,"** Dark Naruto observed. Kakuzu was still stalling him, but it made no difference. The Treasurer of Akatsuki would still be dead before the night was over, or at the very least, would be incapacitated just like his undying partner.

"The lie is exposed by your aura and by the jutsu you used against Hidan. Ruling the world isn't your desire. You would rather see it burned to ash," Kakuzu explained.

 **"Ya got me there,"** the yōkai admitted, pretending to be nervous in his slight chuckle. **"Well, how about revenge?"**

"Against who? And for what reason?"

 **"You ask too many questions. But it's pretty straightforward; if a monster doesn't seek domination, he's usually after revenge."**

"And you did not answer my question. Who or what is the target of your revenge?"

Dark Naruto paused for a few seconds, appearing to contemplate the question, then shrugged. **"I don't have time to list off all the people who fall into that category, y'know?"**

"Then it does not make sense for revenge to be your goal, either," Kakuzu stated. "Do you even know what it is you fight for?"

 **"This, coming from someone whose only reason for living is the accumulation of earthly wealth? Your existence is pathetic. You are incapable of understanding,"** Dark Naruto shot back. **"Enough talking!"** he shouted, forming the modified Ram seal with his hands to create shadow clones.

 _'I cannot defeat him by myself,'_ Kakuzu thought. _'I must fight defensively and search for an opportunity to escape.'_ The Earth Grudge Fear activated, detaching the four masks containing his extra hearts from his back and creating various chimeras for each mask, while his own body was grotesquely altered by the very same threads.

 **"I gotta say, it always creeps me out to see what you did to yourself. Then again, it's pretty obvious to see how Hashirama beat you so decisively,"** the yōkai taunted.

Kakuzu ignored the insult; though he was prone to entering a deep rage, the fresh memory of watching Hidan get utterly annihilated in his bloodlust forced the other member of the Zombie Combo to remain calm. "Hellfire Gale!" he shouted, commanding his Wind and Fire masks to merge their chakra for a devastating combination attack. The two creatures corresponding to those masks spewed out their respective elemental chakras from their mouths, ejecting a great pillar of fire whose intensity was increased by a focused gust of wind. The result was an impending explosion directed at Dark Naruto, who was forced to jump out of the way before the technique could connect.

 _ **'That damn Earth Grudge Fear is going to be a real problem,'**_ Dark Naruto thought. **_'My time stop ability only works on one target at a time and each time I use it, it causes damage to the fabric of time-space. With all of Kakuzu's extra hearts separated from his body, there is no way he'll let me get close enough to use it. I can't resort to invulnerability because it's already failed me twice, first against my younger self, and then with Yuzuki. There's no guarantee that just rushing in like Hidan tried will work for me. That leaves me with only one other option, and I was really hoping I wouldn't have to use_ that _jutsu so soon.'_**

 **"Alright then, I guess I'll just have to match your strongest technique with my own!"** Dark Naruto declared. Black chakra coalesced in his right hand and behind his back, taking the form of a shakujō along with six orbs—the Truthseeker Orbs. Extending his left arm, he made one of the orbs move forward, then swung his shakujō at it to launch it towards the fire mask. He quickly repeated this move, launching a second orb towards the wind mask, and right as he did so, the first orb hit its target, causing it to disintegrate. Kakuzu, seeing what just happened, called the wind mask back. The second orb kept flying towards it for another few seconds, only to suddenly stop and fall to the ground.

 _'What the fuck was that?'_ Kakuzu wondered. _'That first orb destroyed one of my hearts just by touching it! However, it appears that the orbs have a limited range. Close combat is no longer an option. I have to stick with long-range attacks to throw him off.'_

 _ **'Good, that's one heart down,'**_ Dark Naruto observed. **_'I still have to end this without revealing my other Six Paths abilities.' "Get into a box formation and cut off his escape route,"_** he sent the mental command to his shadow clones. They immediately spread out and adopted the formation, positioning themselves twenty meters away from each other.

 _'He can't seriously think his shadow clones will be enough to stop me?'_ Kakuzu thought incredulously. The biggest threat revealed to him so far in this battle was that group of orbs, but the Treasurer of Akatsuki saw that none of the clones trying to surround him possessed those orbs. He also saw that he was being baited into an attack. But the bait was too tempting to ignore. He targeted the westernmost clone and broke into a sprint, his remaining hearts quickly following. The other three clones saw this and quickly closed in on him.

 **"Where are you going, Kakuzu? The fun's just getting started!"** the clones yelled, appearing directly behind Kakuzu, who growled in response.

"Lightning Style: False Darkness!" The lightning heart shot out a powerful burst of lightning at his pursuers, who tried to evade, but were caught when the lightning curved in as many directions as necessary until striking them square in the chest. Kakuzu sighed in relief as the three clones dispelled. _'It doesn't look like the clones are anything special.'_

 **"Are you sure you should be letting your guard down so soon, Kakuzu?"** the remaining clone taunted Kakuzu right as Kakuzu spun back around to face him. Kakuzu watched in horror as the clone formed the modified Ram seal and shouted, **"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**

 _'The demon's shadow clones have enough chakra to make their own shadow clones?'_ Kakuzu thought incredulously. Where there once were four clones, now stood four hundred, all of whom were creating black chakra orbs in their hands. Kakuzu cursed himself for falling into the trap and scrambled to fight his way out of it. Luckily for him, the westernmost clone had been positioned close to a small river, so he still had one option. Kakuzu recalled his water mask, then formed the Ram, Horse and Bird hand signs.

"Tornado of Water!" Kakuzu shouted. With the water mask reattached to his back, the technique's power was much stronger than if he had kept it separated. Thousands upon thousands of gallons of water flowed out of the river and towards Kakuzu, surrounding him to create a raging vortex which then rapidly expanded to engulf the enemy clones before they could launch their attack.

A few minutes later, the vortex dispersed and all the water that had been used for the jutsu inundated the surrounding soil. Kakuzu was breathing heavily; he had exhausted a tremendous amount of chakra on that jutsu. The clones had all been successfully dispelled...but the original demon was nowhere in sight, either. He had an ominous feeling as he scanned his surroundings, knowing he could not escape just yet.

"Where did you go?" Kakuzu wondered aloud.

Too late, he got the answer. The original suddenly appeared and in his right hand, was holding a violent mass of energy that Kakuzu, in that moment, could only describe as death in its most refined form.

 **"Wind Style: Abyssal Rasenshuriken!"**

x-x

"These clothes are all wrong for me," Naruto complained. After Hinata had helped him make it to the guest house, they had found several identical sets of new clothing laid out for him. The blond was stuck wearing a white khaki shirt and matching pants, with a dull gray shirt underneath the khaki shirt. There was also mesh armor, but Naruto ignored it since, due to being both injured and suspended, there was little reason to wear it.

"I must agree with you, Naruto-kun," Hinata said. She had changed out of her training/mission gear and was wearing the Hyūga kimono, and had had her hair fixed as best as possible, now styled in the old short hime cut she'd used to have before Naruto left on his training journey. "I miss your old clothes. I was growing to like your black jacket and sports pants, but I thought you looked better in your tracksuit. Orange suits you the best. This attire...just doesn't suit you at all, Naruto-kun. I will have to ask Chichi-ue to replace your old clothes later."

"You hear that, Neji!" Naruto shouted at the front door. "Hinata agrees with me that orange clothes are the best, y'know!"

"Pipe it down, Naruto!" Neji hissed at him before opening the door and walking inside the main hallway. "Besides, you actually don't look all that bad."

"Yeah, _you_ would say that seeing as how I look like you used to..."

Neji shrugged at the remark. "While you may be Hinata-sama's fiancé now, since you are still our guest here, Oji-sama insists that you follow our traditions and protocols. Which includes adhering to the Hyūga dress code."

"I didn't sign up for any of that!"

"Take it up with Oji-sama when the time permits. But if I were you, I would give your new clothes a chance. You may find it easier to move around in those clothes while training, among other things."

Hinata had to concede that point to Neji. Hyūga attire was designed with the clan's fighting style in mind, which required all clan members to remain nimble. Naruto had certainly made great improvements in his taijutsu since Yuzuki came into his life, but he still needed a lot of work. "That may be, Neji-nii-san, but these clothes still do not look right on Naruto-kun," she insisted. "Still...Naruto-kun will always look handsome no matter what he's wearing." She was promptly pulled into a tight hug by Naruto for her last comment.

"Thank you, Hinata," Naruto said, smiling at her. Hinata blushed, but also felt her eyes moisten. Every time Naruto showed his gratitude, it was always so heartfelt.

Neji sighed deeply at the display. "If the two of you are ready, Oji-sama and Hanabi-sama are waiting for you to join them for dinner. Please follow me and try to keep your lovey-dovey behavior confined to the guest house." Hinata nodded and followed Neji out the door and towards the main building. Naruto was out a couple of seconds later, still walking slower than normal.

"Do we really have to do this?" Naruto whispered to Hinata.

Hinata slowed down to let Naruto catch up, then took his left hand in her right. "We just have to make it through this meeting and then we will have the rest of the night to ourselves. Is that okay with you?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not really, but it's not like I have a choice in the matter." Hinata sighed and nodded at him, silently telling him she understood. Then she rested her head on his shoulder and nuzzled him slightly, helping him to relax a little as they continued walking.

When they arrived at the room Neji indicated, Hanabi and Hiashi were seated across from a short, pudgy man who Naruto could only guess was the head merchant Hiashi had told them about. He had a straw hat atop his head with cloth draping down the back and was dressed in a fancy scarlet kimono and a matching haori which made him look like an overgrown strawberry. His face looked like the face of a chipmunk and he was sporting a small mustache and goatee. Naruto would have laughed at the merchant's ridiculous appearance had Hiashi not given him a cold stare warning against the behavior. The merchant noticed this as Naruto walked in along with his betrothed, and frowned.

"And who might they be, Hiashi-sama?" the merchant asked.

"Tomi-san, this is my elder daughter and her betrothed," Hiashi replied while gesturing for the couple to take their seats at his left side. He then turned his head towards Neji and said, "You are dismissed now, Neji. Please use this time to take care of any necessary tasks."

"Yes, Oji-sama," Neji said, bowing and sliding the door shut behind him.

"Betrothed, you say?" Tomi snorted. "Much has changed since I was last here. Hinata-san has become quite lovely, though she could do without that unseemly scar over her eye. But her betrothed is clearly not a Hyūga. I was not aware that the heiress was now allowed to marry an outsider, and one who cannot even dress for the occasion."

"There were certain circumstances that arose shortly after your last visit to Konoha which required Hinata to pass on the heiress title to her younger sister Hanabi. Additional unforeseen circumstances arose more recently to require the unusual engagement." Hiashi looked at Naruto and signaled him to introduce himself. However, Naruto remained silent; he had already decided that he did not like this merchant at all. He reminded Naruto too much of the clothing store owner Yuzuki threatened and chased out of the country, and so Naruto just glared at him.

"Speak up, boy," Tomi demanded. All that did was make Naruto's glare towards him harsher.

"If you would, show some leniency towards him, Tomi-san," Hiashi defended Naruto. "He has had many rough experiences with merchants when he was younger, so surely you can understand why he is hesitant to engage in this conversation. His name is Naruto Uzumaki."

Tomi seemed to accept Hiashi's explanation and turned his focus away from Naruto and back towards the Hyūga clan head. "An Uzumaki, you say? Interesting," he mused. "Well Hiashi-sama, word of the destruction of Konoha travels fast. By the time your courier arrived with your message, I had already gathered a rough estimate of the cost of repairs. However, after seeing the destruction with my own eyes, I am afraid that it is worse than I first thought."

"The Hyūga Clan can manage the repairs to their own estate, Tomi-san," Hanabi spoke up. "We only need the damage assessment for the central district. The hospital and Hokage Mansion take priority." Naruto glanced at her for a moment and when she returned his glance, she found a hint of admiration in his eyes. Naruto only knew a little about Hanabi, and that was only because she had been caught joining Konohamaru for a prank once. That had made her come off as a silly girl in Naruto's mind, but now he saw that she was deadly serious.

Tomi adjusted his hat while taking a huge bite out of his onigiri, making Hinata grimace at his lack of manners, particularly when some of the rice got stuck in his facial hair. "Since most of the village's most important facilities are located there, the repair cost for just that one district is substantial. The hospital alone will require three billion ryō to rebuild, not including the cost of equipment. The Hokage Mansion will cost another one point five billion."

Hanabi slammed her hands down on the table and glared at Tomi with her Byakugan activated. "That's pure robbery! Our people are still dying out there and you have the gall to demand a price like that?!"

To his complete discredit, Tomi was unimpressed with Hanabi's threatening posture. "Listen here, girl," he addressed her with a total lack of respect. "The price of both common and precious metals has skyrocketed since the civil war in Mizu no Kuni. Skilled medics have also become something of a rarity over the years due to their high mortality rates on the battlefield. The necessary equipment to compensate for their absence is constantly in high demand, with only a very low supply."

"Sit down, Hanabi," Hiashi commanded his younger daughter. Hanabi grumbled, but obeyed, albeit reluctantly. "Now Tomi-san, I mentioned earlier that Hinata and Uzumaki-san are currently engaged. If Hokage-sama granted merchants from your guild permission to advertise the wedding, how much revenue could they generate to go towards the needed supplies?"

Tomi started laughing while his mouth was still chock full of onigiri, causing some of it to land on Hiashi's face. "How absurd! The current net worth of Konoha isn't even one percent of what it will cost to rebuild! No offer either you or your Hokage could make would entice me to send even a single merchant here! If you want the supplies, you will have to purchase them yourself, provided you can muster up the funds that is."

Hiashi calmly wiped the spittle from his face, so calmly that it scared Hinata. She had been certain that her father would have thrown the head merchant out of the village for his disrespect by now. "If there is no other alternative, then fine."

"You can't do that, Otō-sama!" Hinata objected. "The clan will go bankrupt if you try!"

"We will manage, Hinata. I have already spoken to Shikaku-san and Chōza-san and they have already agreed to contribute as many ryō as their clans can spare. Unfortunately, since Inoichi-san was killed on the night of the storm, the Yamanaka Clan is in disarray and the few elders of that clan who survived are struggling to select a new clan head. Once the other clan heads are available, I will meet with them as well." Hiashi turned back to Tomi and said, "The combined total funds in the treasuries of the Hyūga Clan and the Yamanaka-Nara-Akimichi triumvirate should be enough to rebuild the central district. If there are any other costs that may arise later, I promise that they will be covered once the critical repairs have been made."

Tomi contemplated the offer while he chewed loudly on the rest of his onigiri. Once it was finished, he gave Hiashi an evil smirk. "Very well. I will accept your proposition on one condition. Every week that you fail to repay the debt incurred, ten percent interest will be charged on the total cost of repairs."

"That's bullshit!" Naruto shouted at the merchant, slamming his hands down like Hanabi had earlier. "What's the point of repairing the village if no one will have any money left?"

"Sit down and shut up, boy," Tomi said. "The adults are talking here. With the present state of the village, it would be all too easy to strangle it to death, be it physically, financially, or whatever other way. And don't think I've forgotten about you after what happened a few months ago. A member of my guild was chased out of his shop by a Hyūga woman who was trying to purchase new clothes for a certain blond boy, but ended up stealing the items after the merchant ran off. She did that because of you, and because of that little incident, you'd better be ready to grovel at my feet, begging for me to show Konoha mercy. All I have to do is whisper a few words in the right direction and the Daimyō will liquidate this worthless village." Tomi's arrogance knew no bounds. The whole time he was attempting to dress down Naruto, mocking him with his tone, he was forgetting one very important detail. He was still in a room with a high-level shinobi who could make him disappear on a whim.

"So that was one of your merchants," Hiashi said, his voice shaking for the first time in a very long time.

"What of—" Tomi never got to finish what he was going to say. Hiashi's Byakugan flared to life and he slammed his palm into the head merchant's chest, sending him crashing through the door and into the main hallway. Hinata and Hanabi both gasped at the sudden violence from their father; neither they, nor anyone else in their clan, had _ever_ seen the Hyūga patriarch visibly enraged.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Tomi demanded as he tried, and failed, to push himself back to his feet.

"Normally I consider myself a very reasonable man, Tomi. However, your actions here have shown me that you are nothing more than a malevolent swine who enjoys feeding off the misfortune of others. Not only did you threaten my daughters, the suitor of my elder daughter and our village as a whole, thanks to your incessant babbling it has come to light that you are responsible for a significant part of the suffering Uzumaki-san experienced during his childhood."

Tomi pulled out a dagger hidden beneath his haori and forced himself to stand, pointing the weapon at Hiashi. "This is your final warning. If you do anything to me, my guild will make sure your village stays in ruin and is left to fend for itself against an endless wave of bandits and scavengers! You'll be left to the vultures!"

"If the alternative is allowing your corrupt entity to have its way, then the shinobi of Konoha will be more than willing to take that risk."

Tomi yelled and charged at Hiashi, but even most ordinary civilians who might have been watching would have known that the attack was doomed from the start. Hiashi stepped out of the way, and almost right away Tomi lost his balance and tripped over the table in the meeting room.

When he fell and dropped his dagger, the situation deteriorated further. Even before the dagger landed on the floor, images started flashing through Hinata's mind. All of a sudden, she was back in Tsunade's office, helpless as Danzō carved her face with his kunai, targeting her eyes for destruction. Immediately, Hinata fell onto her knees and screamed, gripping her head as more painful memories flashed by. Then the scene changed and she found herself in a strange place she didn't recognize, a white-gold circular room surrounded by windows. She saw a young woman looking at her own reflection, her hands glowing purple as she mumbled out an inaudible apology, then thrust her hands against her own chest. The pain in her head intensified when the self-inflicted palm thrust connected and her heartbeat became erratic. It was too much for her to bear and she slumped into Naruto's arms, losing consciousness.

"Hinata!" Naruto cried out in anguish, shaking her limp body. Hiashi ran back into the room to see what had happened, and the sight of his collapsed daughter, coupled with Naruto's eyes turning red, sent the clan head into a deeper rage.

"Hanabi, bring Neji and Kō here immediately!" Hiashi instructed. Hanabi was already running out of the room before he finished, and came back with the summoned attendants just ten seconds later, both of whom were also sent into visible rage by the sight which lay before them.

"Oji-sama, please allow me to avenge Hinata-sama's honor by disposing of this filth," Neji requested. While they were deliberating on who would deal with him, Tomi's eyes were darting back and forth between the four angry Hyūga and the one angrier Uzumaki as he scrambled to get away from them, only to find himself pressed against a wall with nowhere else to run.

"No, Neji," Hiashi held his nephew back. "Take Hinata back to the guest house and see to it that she recovers. I will deal with the instigator... _personally,"_ he drew out the last word, then retrieved the katana that was kept on the wall behind him and held it in his left hand.

All eyes were fixed on Tomi as Hiashi slowly approached him, the clan head's murderous aura growing stronger with each step. "Your presence in this village has caused my family a great deal of strife, Tomi. It is time you made yourself scarce." Hiashi grabbed Tomi by the back of his haori with his right hand and dragged Tomi out of the meeting room, then lifted him up and carried him through the hallway and out the front door of the main building like he was a garbage bag. Tomi was yelling incoherent profanities and threats at Hiashi, but in his anger that was fueled by seeing Hinata collapse, Hiashi was completely unfazed by Tomi's virulence.

When Hiashi arrived at the gate, several other Hyūga had followed him outside to watch as he threw Tomi out the gates and onto the dirt.

"Your services are no longer welcome in Konoha, or anywhere in Hi no Kuni for that matter," Hiashi decreed. "If any Hyūga should see you or any merchant from your guild present in this country, I will have a bounty for your capture placed on your head, and will see to it that you spend the rest of your miserable life in prison."

Tomi laughed at the declaration. "Fine then! Without me, your precious village will never recover! Word will quickly spread about how the noble Hyūga Clan is actually just a clan of psychopaths and your reputation will be ruined!"

"You haven't the necessary resources or the connections to ruin my clan. Now get out of my sight." Hiashi spat on the ground, then turned around and started walking away.

As Tomi watched Hiashi walk away, while he sat on the ground after being assaulted and humiliated, memories of his life began flashing through his mind. Having been brought up in a rich family that became rich through ruthlessness, Tomi had quickly learned that the best way to get ahead was to step on and screw over as many other people as necessary. He had been brought into the merchant guilds through his father and learned a great deal about the shadier aspects of business. The feeling of being stepped on himself was the greatest insult he had ever suffered, and it drove him to make the greatest, and last, mistake of his life.

"That boy's secret was very poorly kept, Hiashi," Tomi shouted at the retreating clan head. "Everyone in my guild knows about the Uzumaki child. Once word gets out that you're harboring the Kyūbi, your reputation will be the least of your worries."

Hiashi stopped cold in his tracks at the merchant's response to his decree and remained still for several seconds. His eyes scanned the estate and read the lips of the other clan members who were still watching. They were already whispering amongst one another, asking such questions as "The Kyūbi child is here?", "Why would Hiashi-sama allow that boy in the compound?", and "Do the elders know?".

There was only one appropriate way to address this latest debacle.

"The law Sandaime-sama enacted after the Kyūbi's attack fourteen years ago is still in effect," Hiashi told Tomi. "And the punishment for breaking that law..." his voice trailed off as he spun around in a blur. Metal swiftly sliced through flesh, and Tomi's head fell off his shoulders and rolled across the ground.

"...is death," the Hyūga patriarch finished his speech to the now decapitated Tomi.

"And let that be a reminder to everyone else here that there will be zero tolerance for disobeying my will on this matter," he turned back to address the gathered crowd. The reminder sunk in quickly and they silently nodded. Hiashi brushed the dirt off his kimono and proceeded towards the guest house to attend to his family, but not without issuing a final command:

"Now would someone please take out this trash?"

x-x

Kakuzu had no chance to avoid the huge burst of wind which collided with his chest. The wind-like shuriken carried him away several dozen meters before the black orb at its core exploded, creating a huge vortex that contained an innumerable amount of wind blades, slashing at every cell in his body. Each cut from the dark chakra created an intense burning sensation. The wind tore apart his hair and skin and at the same time, robbed him of the ability to scream. The sheer amount of pain was indescribable and it overloaded his nervous system.

When the vortex dissipated, most of Kakuzu's skin was gone, revealing the mass of tendrils that had woven itself into his entire body and was the only thing keeping him together. He looked very much like one of the chimeras his kinjutsu produced when he detached his extra hearts.

Several minutes later, his senses recovered just enough to hear the sound of approaching footsteps. He was forced to overexert himself just to lift up his head enough to see Dark Naruto, who was towering above him.

"What...what are you?" Kakuzu rasped out.

Dark Naruto generated one more orb of spinning black chakra in his hands. **"I'm what's left or...perhaps I'm all that ever was..."** he replied, and brought his hand down to slam the Black Rasengan into Kakuzu's head and finish him off. But just before the orb connected, he himself collapsed as a sharp pain coursed throughout his entire body.

 **"What's going on?"** the yōkai shouted/moaned. He tried to push himself back up, but the pain knocked him back to his knees several times before he could steady himself. He tried to recreate the Black Rasengan in his right hand, but the orb would not form. Furious, he looked down at his hands—only for his rage to be replaced by an all-consuming horror.

 **"No...she didn't...she couldn't..."** Dark Naruto whispered. His hands were flickering in and out of existence. That could only mean one thing:

That something terrible had happened to Yuzuki.

 **"Damn it!"** Dark Naruto howled. In his present condition, he was unable to open the ethereal doorway to return to his hideout. He had no choice but to invoke the Six Paths power to jump high into the air and take flight, leaving Kakuzu behind to die slowly as he flew off to discover what had befallen his precious goddess.

x-x

 **Editor's Note: Some of you might not like the way Hidan was taken down in this chapter, but honestly, both the author and myself were out of ideas. It was either this, petrify him like what happened to Danzō, or ask another author for permission to borrow their ideas.**

 **FYI, I am sorely disappointed with the lack of reviews for last chapter, even knowing that this site as a whole has been on a decline in activity for some time now.**

 **Review Replies**

 **A general reply to everyone – No matter how many good points Dark Naruto makes, remember that the yōkai has already crossed the Moral Event Horizon. That should make his words inherently tainted.**

 **Hektols: The Rasengan Barrage wasn't nerfed in that scene; Neji's Revolving Heaven was made stronger. Neji didn't use the standard Revolving Heaven, but a more powerful variant. Nonetheless, we are taking that point into consideration and may edit the chapter at a later date to redo the skirmish.**

 **NarHina: Dark Naruto's plan is a combination of Zetsu's and Sasuke's. Dark Naruto means to transform Yuzuki into the second coming of Kaguya, but instead of using Infinite Tsukuyomi to subjugate the planet his endgame is to destroy the shinobi system and the daimyō system, then install Yuzuki as a benevolent goddess-queen while he, as her consort, takes the burden of the world's hate on his shoulders. All while trying to figure out how to stop himself and Yuzuki from merging with their past selves, or fully converting their past selves to his vision before the merge finishes. If going through with his plans means losing Yuzuki/Hinata's love and enduring her hate for all eternity, so be it.**

 **A/N: Hello my lovely readers. The first thing I want to say is that I was also disappointed at the lack of reviews last chapter. Granted Fanfic has been rather a ghost site as of late but I'd really appreciate those reviews coming back in. Gotta keep this author motivated to write, right?**

 **Anyway, we see in this chapter there is a lot of development for Hiashi's character. It came to my attention that a lot of resentment towards Hiashi in the fandom comes from stories such as S'TarKan's "Team 8" that paint the Hyūga clan head as an abusive father/all-out villain when this is simply not the case in canon, at least not the villain part. I won't excuse the fact that canon Hiashi neglected Hinata to the point that he told Kurenai he didn't care what happened to her, however after the Chūnin Exams it was pretty obvious Hiashi wanted to change both himself and the clan for the better.**

 **Now let's look at the Zombie Combo fight. Yes, Hidan was taken out rather quickly but that's his own fault. Hidan relied too much on his immortality and threw caution to the wind, which cost him both in canon, and in this story, only here his end is slightly darker. I'll also say this: Kakuzu isn't quite dead...yet. But what happened to Yuzuki that could cause Dark Naruto such worry? Well, leave a review and some feedback and you might find out!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Dark Naruto's Decision**

Dark Naruto soared through the skies as fast as his powers allowed. While the supernatural bond between him and Yuzuki had underwent a partial reversal upon his transformation, his life was still irrevocably bound to hers. Yuzuki was stalled from merging with her younger self, and could not venture more than a few meters away from any strong source of his chakra. But if he were to be destroyed somehow, absolutely nothing would happen to her. If she died, on the other hand...

 _ **'No, I cannot and will not allow that to happen,'**_ the yōkai insisted as he arrived at the hideout. **_'I will protect her, no matter the cost.'_** He tore off the door leading from the handmaidens' quarters to Yuzuki's bedchamber, only to see that Ino and Tenten were kneeling on the floor, and right next to them, Yuzuki was unconscious, with a small trail of blood coming out of her mouth.

 **"You two..."** an enraged Dark Naruto said slowly. His evil chakra flared and enveloped the room, causing Ino and Tenten to back up against the wall. **"What did you do?!"** he roared at them, and as he did, his chakra inundated his surroundings. Ino and Tenten screamed as the vile chakra tore at their clothes and skin. **"You had one job!"** he yelled, stomping towards them and grabbing them by their throats.

"We...didn't...do anything!" Ino tried to yell back, struggling to breathe. Dark Naruto tightened his grip on her throat.

 **"That's _exactly_ the problem. You _didn't_ do anything to stop _this!"_**

"Yuzuki-san sent us away...but even though it was only for a minute...she was already like that by the time we returned!" Tenten explained. "If we had known...she would do this...we would not have obeyed her instructions!"

Dark Naruto's chakra receded as he dropped the now half-naked girls to the floor. Then he grabbed Ino by her ponytail and dragged her back towards Yuzuki. **"You're a iryōnin, Ino. Fix the damage Yuzuki inflicted on herself right now or you and Tenten's lives are forfeit!"**

Ino was shivering both from the natural cold air bombarding her exposed skin and the fear she felt in the yōkai's presence as said yōkai gently lifted Yuzuki off the floor and placed her onto the bed. She forced herself to concentrate on forming the hand signs to activate the Mystical Palm Jutsu, covering her hands with green chakra and holding them over Yuzuki's chest, trying to coax Yuzuki's body into healing the damage. But it was to no avail.

"Her heart is compromised," Ino said, shaking her head. "I don't have the experience Tsunade-sama does. I can't fix this!"

Dark Naruto moved behind her and pressed the tip of his sword to the back of her neck. **"Then it's time for you to join your father in hell,"** he declared, and swung the sword. But before the swing could connect, Yuzuki mustered up the strength to knock the sword out of his hands with a weak Air Palm. Bewildered, Dark Naruto's head snapped to look at Yuzuki, who was overexerting herself to look him in the eyes.

"I will not...let you..."

Dark Naruto was momentarily stunned into inaction. When he recovered, he left the sword on the floor and bent down over Yuzuki to try to hear better what she was trying to say.

"I will not...let you...do this any longer..." Yuzuki whispered in his ear.

The yōkai's eyes widened at her dying proclamation. It wasn't enough for her to kill herself; she had to continue to interfere with him even as she slipped into oblivion. He growled as he stood back up and grabbed Ino and Tenten by their hair, then made a sealless Shadow Clone who managed, albeit barely, to force the ethereal door to open.

 **"Your services are no longer required,"** the original told the handmaidens before throwing them through the door and slamming it shut behind them. He then had the clone leave the chamber before returning to Yuzuki and kneeling down beside her, taking her left hand and clutching it in his.

 **"Why would you do this?"** he asked. Yuzuki refused to answer and just turned away, trying to hide her tears from him. He sighed and tried prodding her again: **"You made sure I didn't kill them. Right now they're back in Konoha. So why won't you talk to me?"** Again, there was no answer. Dark Naruto turned Yuzuki's face back towards him, only to find that she had lost consciousness. He shook his head and stretched out her hand over his chest, attempting to replicate the Mystical Palm Jutsu to heal her, only to be interrupted again, by the most unwelcome presence.

"It would be most unwise for you to do what you are planning to do," the all-too-familiar presence warned him. Dark Naruto withdrew his hand and clenched it into a fist.

 **"How long do you intend to vex me, old man?"** he demanded as he turned around to face Hagoromo, who was standing instead of levitating.

"Until you stop this madness. I know full well what you are about to attempt, just as I know that going through with it will only cause Yuzuki even greater suffering at your hands."

 **"Where do you get off thinking you can tell me how to take care of my possessions?"** Dark Naruto screamed.

"Kurama was correct to reprimand me for bringing her back here in the first place, pointing out that you should not exist in this world. Your actions are not only endangering both the lives of Yuzuki and your younger counterparts, but the space-time continuum itself. This timeline has already been irrevocably altered for the worse; if you continue down this path, attempting to stop the merger of past and future, the very fabric of reality will collapse and everything will cease to exist!"

The yōkai fixed a nasty glare upon the Sage. **"Did it ever occur to you that I don't give a damn about your _precious_ balance?"**

Hagoromo did not flinch at all; instead, he met the yōkai's glare with a stronger one. "You would jeopardize everything because you are selfish, then."

 **"If being selfish means giving Yuzuki everything that was denied to her the first time around, then you're damn right I will!"**

"And that is why you have already taken away the only thing she truly wants. You are constantly lying to yourself when you claim that your true self suppressed his love for Yuzuki. In actuality, the only reason he did not return her love while he still lived was because he did not know how to recognize that feeling. What you feel towards Yuzuki is not love. It is obsession, idolatry. You have become the very thing she fears most, and it has deprived her of the will to live."

 **"I've heard enough of your bullshit!"** Dark Naruto screamed and flew at the Sage of Six Paths, meaning to destroy his spirit with a Black Rasengan. Hagoromo responded by using a Truthseeker Orb as a shield to nullify the jutsu, which also had the effect of repelling the yōkai and sending him flying through the wall. He was stunned, but more by the fact that the Sage had actually defended himself from the attack than by any damage the countermeasure inflicted.

"Did you delude yourself into believing I was powerless?" Hagoromo scolded the yōkai. "I am no longer bound by the Samsara. I exist outside of time. What power could you possibly hope to wield that would have any chance of vanquishing my transcended soul?"

 **"Heh,"** Dark Naruto chuckled, slowly pulling himself out of the wall. **"That's exactly why you're powerless when it matters the most. You can't destroy me or you would've done so already. I pointed this out before: you _can't_ just interfere on a whim. You have to obey certain rules. You have to wait for specific conditions to be met before you can intervene. And I'll make damn sure those conditions are never met again. This is _my_ world now, old man. I will remake this world as I see fit and there isn't a damned thing you can do to stop me."**

"So be it." Hagoromo sighed. There was nothing he could do to refute Dark Naruto's point about his inability to take further action. The yōkai was correct: if Hagoromo was able to destroy him of his own volition at this time, it would have already happened. "We will not meet again. I see clearly now that you are too far gone. In due time, you will face the ultimate punishment, and it will be the very thing you dread most." And he vanished, denying Dark Naruto a reply to his parting shot.

 **"Yeah, you'd better not come back here,"** Dark Naruto muttered towards the empty space where the Sage once stood. He limped slightly as he returned to bedside, then placed his hand over her chest again. _**'This should at least stop the bleeding, but after that...'**_

The yōkai's black chakra began pouring into Yuzuki's chest like a waterfall and right away, her body arched upward and she cried out in pain. As she kept thrashing about on the bed, he wished he could shield his eyes; he hated seeing his queen in pain and hated even more that he was the one causing her pain, even if it was for her own good. But as much as this sickened him, what came next was something he could not find the words to accurately describe its horror. Blood began leaking out Yuzuki's forehead, right above her left eye. Dark Naruto recoiled at the sight and stopped infusing chakra, but the bleeding didn't stop. He could only continue to watch as a slash wound appeared, identical to the one that had scarred Hinata's face just a couple of nights ago. Once the scar tissue formed, Yuzuki finally stopped thrashing, and Dark Naruto climbed onto the bed and pulled her close to him, cradling her in his arms.

 **"Even though you're already dead, you would still dare to harm what is precious to me. Damn you to hell, Danzō,"** Dark Naruto cursed the deceased Shinobi of Darkness as he was forced to gaze upon the scarred face of his beautiful goddess. He hesitantly traced his fingers over the scar, which caused Yuzuki to fidget in his arms and try to move closer, instinctively seeking out what little warmth he could provide.

"Please..." Yuzuki moaned. Hearing her voice caused the yōkai's heart to skip a beat.

 **"Please what, Yuzuki?"** Dark Naruto asked.

"Please just let me die..."

Dark Naruto's heart sank at her quiet request and he felt tears begin to roll down his cheeks. **"Why would you ask me that? You know I can't do that."**

"I cannot live with myself...knowing what you've done, and plan to do in my name," Yuzuki went on as though he hadn't spoken, fading in and out of consciousness. "But if I can die like this, being held in your arms...at least then I can die happy...and this life...will have been worth living..."

Dark Naruto's tears were flowing non-stop as he laid Yuzuki back down on the bed. What she had just said to him in her delirium confirmed that he could no longer leave her to her own devices. He placed his hands over her and sent his chakra through her again, this time to make sure she remained unconscious until she was in a more acceptable state of mind.

 **"You give me no choice, Yuzuki,"** he told his comatose goddess. **"I won't deny that what I'm about to do will fill me with some perverse form of happiness..."** he went on, turning to face the shadow clone he'd made earlier who just now reentered the chamber. The clone nodded and disappeared into the night.

 **"But for your own good, I must take away your free will..."**

x-x

Sakura sighed as she stretched her sore limbs. She had been running nonstop for the past two days to get back to Konoha; but the ruins of her home village were still nowhere in sight and worse, in her exhausted state she had no idea where she was currently at or if she was going in the right direction. It also didn't help that she was burdened with the particulars of Yuzuki's story. Most notably her unhappy marriage to Sasuke in the future, a marriage that was marred by the shadow of Naruto's ghost, and only lasted for eleven months before the Hyūga Clan murdered her in cold blood. But the worst part was that even though there was nothing her future self could have done to save Naruto, she still felt responsible for his death, which had been the catalyst of the future's destruction.

"Some medic I must have been..." Sakura muttered to herself.

 **"Oh, I'm afraid it's far too late for you to start playing the blame game, Sakura _-chan,"_** an evil voice replied. Sakura forced herself to spin around, taking a poisoned kunai out of her ninja tool pouch to confront the yōkai.

"What the hell do you want? You said you would let us go!"

Dark Naruto emerged from behind a nearby tree and laughed at the sight of Sakura's pitiful attempt to defend herself. **"Oh, please. Do you really think that little toy in your hands can even leave a scratch on me?"**

"You didn't answer my question," Sakura growled, gripping the kunai tighter. "What do you want?"

 **"Straight to business, eh? Sorta reminds me of why I used to admire you, Sakura _-chan._ Very well."** Dark Naruto created a small scroll in his hand and threw it at Sakura, who had to drop her kunai to catch it. **"Read that scroll. Its contents are what I require of you. With your medical knowledge, it should be easy for you to synthesize the drug."**

Sakura only hesitantly turned away from Dark Naruto, fearing that he would attack while her gaze was averted. She only looked at the scroll for one second before recoiling. "These are the ingredients to make the Devil's Breath," she said, horrified.

 **"And you are going to produce enough of the drug to administer at least several dozen doses,"** the yōkai commanded.

Sakura threw the scroll back at Dark Naruto. "So you can control the Kage and Daimyō? You don't have a snowflake's chance in hell of getting me to do that!"

Dark Naruto caught the scroll and flared his chakra to disintegrate it. **"Always quick to assume things, Sakura _-chan._ That would be far too easy an out to use against the political leaders of our world, y'know."**

"Then let's assume you don't mean to use it for world domination and that I agree to do this for you. What could you possibly want with such a powerful drug?" Sakura demanded. Dark Naruto turned away and looked back in the opposite direction, back towards the Land of Waves. Sakura found herself growing curious, because the look the yōkai was trying to hide from her showed concern and traces of regret.

 **"It's for Yuzuki,"** he admitted. Sakura's eyes widened in further horror.

"You're insane! It isn't enough for you to hold her against her will, is it? Now you want to take away her free agency as well?!"

Before Sakura could register what was happening, Dark Naruto grabbed her by the throat, and the world turned pitch black. When color was restored, Sakura found herself back in Yuzuki's bedchamber, being forced to look at the unconscious time traveler on the bed.

 **"This is what happens when I let her do what she wants!"** the yōkai hissed in Sakura's ear, trying not to disturb his goddess. Sakura didn't need long to see what he was talking about: there were traces of a self-inflicted injury visible through her nightgown. Yuzuki had been so horrified by Dark Naruto's actions that she had been driven to attempt suicide. Once Sakura finished examining the injury, the yōkai released her and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Couldn't bother to come after me yourself?" Sakura scowled. "Sending your shadow clones to do all your dirty work?"

The real Dark Naruto was standing at the opposite end of the bedchamber, concealed in darkness. He motioned for Sakura to follow him, and she had no choice but to obey. Once they were outside the handmaidens' room, he said, **"Do you think I want this? Yuzuki was willing to love me even though I am a monster. She chose to love me despite what everyone else said. Her free will is the most precious part of her. It hurts me beyond measure to know she cannot be trusted to continue to make her own decisions."**

Sakura withheld her response for a few moments. She couldn't figure this demon out. He claimed to be doing all of this for Yuzuki's sake, but any human being would know that Yuzuki does not want any of this. "If there is any truth hidden among the lies you speak," she muttered, pointing an accusing finger at Dark Naruto, "then you would know that all of Yuzuki's suffering right now is YOUR fault!"

 **"Suffering?"** Dark Naruto scoffed as he turned around to glare at the pink-haired girl who he used to lust after. **"You don't know the meaning of that word,"** he hissed, walking towards her and pushing her against the wall. **"So allow me to reeducate you. Suffering is desiring the acknowledgment of those whom you have done no wrong."** Sakura felt the yōkai's cold breath on her neck and she tried to get away from him, but he yanked her arms up and held them firmly over her head, keeping her trapped.

 **"Suffering is watching the person you admire from a distance, knowing their thoughts are directed at someone else and they will never see you the way you see them,"** Dark Naruto continued. He gripped Sakura's wrists tightly, almost tight enough to crush her bones, then threw her onto the floor and towered over her. Sakura wanted to be scared; she also wanted to be enraged; but those emotions fled from her at the first sight of Dark Naruto's tears, and instead she was forced, ever so briefly, to pity the demon. **"Suffering is watching the person who loved you before anyone else would acknowledge your existence hold you in her arms as you die, realizing that your whole life was wasted trying to earn something that had been freely given to you. Suffering is watching that same person drown in despair for years, while your spirit is powerless to do anything that could ease her pain."**

"Naruto..." Sakura said, her voice shaky.

 **"All my life, I was blindly focused on chasing the impossible dream, but all I did in the end was cause suffering for both myself and the only person I still care about."** Dark Naruto got down on one knee and glared at Sakura, his tears evaporating and his sorrow replaced with pure malice. **"My whole life was defined by suffering. You have no right to think you can give me a different definition of what it means to suffer."**

Sakura stood up and matched Dark Naruto's glare, then exceeded it. She clenched her fists, and then did something that, in retrospect, the yōkai should have seen coming.

She punched him in the face, using the power of her Chakra Enhanced Strength to send him flying towards the opposite end of the hallway.

"Do you know what the difference between you and the Naruto I know is?" Sakura cracked her knuckles and went into angry lecture mode. "You're pathetic. Naruto endures his pain, because he knows he will rise above it. He knows his dream isn't impossible! Naruto _will_ become Hokage! He _will_ give to, and receive from Hinata the love they both need and deserve! And I _will_ be there to support him every step of the way, as the sister he never had! But all _you_ know how to do is make excuses to justify this little farce you have going here! All Yuzuki is to _you_ is a _pawn_ in this wicked game you're playing!"

Dark Naruto grunted as he rose to his feet, the look on his face telling Sakura that her lecture had hit a soft spot. But in that same instant, the look disappeared and he gave her an evil grin. **"You won't hear me argue against your first point, Sakura _-chan._ I am pathetic. But you still fail to realize that soon enough, the Naruto you know will understand that life isn't about how much suffering you endure, it's about how much suffering you cause the people you love."** The yōkai violently pushed Sakura back into the wall, yanked her arms back over her head again and inserted his right knee between her legs to keep her pinned, then mockingly traced his fingers over her face with his free hand.

 **"This is what will happen if you do not obey my instructions. First, I will go to Orochimaru and drag Sasuke _-chan_ out of hiding, then make you watch as I rip his heart out of his chest. Then I will take you back to Konoha and raze its remnant before your eyes. I will systematically cut down Ino, your parents, that old hag Tsunade, and everyone else who ever meant something to you, and I will take delight in the despair you feel when you realize that you could have prevented their suffering, but chose not to. So unless you want to become the instrument of their suffering, I suggest you make that drug."**

Sakura collapsed as Dark Naruto vanished from sight, laughing maniacally. Deeply shaken by the demon's evil promises, she could not bring herself to stop crying.

x-x

 _The following evening..._

Tsunade had just finished debriefing Kakashi inside her temporary office, aka the large tent at the center of the village ruins, while Ino and Tenten sat off to a corner. They were still badly shaken from their ordeals as hostages of the demon who destroyed the village, and were currently huddled up together to her right, wrapping themselves in blankets. The Slug Princess was trying to contemplate what Kakashi said in the debriefing regarding Ino and Tenten's reappearance: he had found them falling out of the sky close to the Hokage's tent, out of what appeared to be a giant door. The girls had tried to force their way back through the door, calling after Yuzuki, only for the demon's clone to glare at them, showing utter contempt before slamming the door shut. Afterward, some of the civilians and Medic Corps ninja who were watching the event had been staring at them like they were crazy.

It was yet another complication she did not need to be heaped onto the already large pile weighing down on her shoulders.

"So what are we going to tell Naruto?" Kakashi asked, addressing the primary complication.

"Not a damn thing," Tsunade said flatly, standing up abruptly. All eyes in the tent focused on her, still looking worse for wear, questioning her judgment. It was Jiraiya who was first to openly voice that question:

"Have you lost your _fucking_ mind, Tsunade?"

"Naruto may be the only person who can stop that thing!" Kakashi quickly agreed with Jiraiya.

"Would you care to elaborate, Kakashi?" Tsunade quickly moved to counter their argument. "You impaled one of its shadow clones in the heart and it still broke your arm and sent you flying across the village! So feel free to enlighten me on how a fourteen year old genin is supposed to take down an immortal S-rank demon when God knows what other tricks are still up its sleeve!"

"I refuse to accept that it is truly invulnerable. If anyone can figure out how to defeat that demon, it's Naruto. Likewise, if anyone has the right to know about these events, it's Naruto."

"What makes you think he doesn't already know?" Ino cut in. All eyes turned to her and she squirmed a little at the sudden attention directed at her.

"What do you mean by that, Ino?" Tsunade ordered. Ino put down her tea and stood up, letting her blanket fall off to reveal the standard Konohagakure shinobi uniform she had been provided after her forced return, and sighed deeply before answering.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that Naruto had any part in causing all this destruction, but we have to face the facts. For the past two and a half months, Naruto was living with Yuzuki-san, who is apparently Hinata from seven years in the future. He had to have known something, right? If not about his evil future alter ego, then at least her."

"It would explain how Naruto and Hinata got so close in that brief amount of time and why his behavior was different after the Joint Chūnin Exams," Kakashi observed. "If Yuzuki and Hinata are the same person from different timelines, Yuzuki definitely would have wanted to push for Naruto and Hinata to enter a relationship, among other things."

"Which is all the more reason why I am ordering everyone in this room to stay silent," Tsunade declared. "Not one word of this meeting will leave this tent."

"Now wait just a minute, Hime—" Jiraiya tried to object.

"No, Jiraiya!" Tsunade cut him off. "It's already bad enough that I have to swallow that defeat handed to me by that prick Hiashi. I will not tolerate any objections at this time, not even from you. You will do what I decide is best for Naruto, got it?"

"That is _exactly_ the kind of thinking that enabled Hyūga-sama to outmaneuver you at the hospital," Kakashi pointed out.

"This is completely different! If Naruto became corrupt in the future then who's to say he won't be corrupted again in this timeline? And who better to push him over the edge than a psychotic version of himself?!"

"Your lack of trust in Naruto not only speaks volumes of why Hiashi-san was able to defeat you in that argument and take custody of him, it is representative of the negative attitude the villagers have always had towards him his entire life," Jiraiya scolded the Slug Princess. "Out of everyone in Konoha, you are the _last_ person who should be treating him poorly."

Tsunade had to bite off her rebuttal to her former teammate's argument when a messenger poked his head into the tent. "Forgive me for interrupting, Hokage-sama, but the shinobi from Kumo are ready to depart," the messenger said. Tsunade growled out some choice words and waved the messenger away as she put on the Hat and Robes and turned to leave.

"So that's it?" Kakashi demanded more than asked.

"Don't push me, Kakashi," Tsunade warned the Copy Ninja. "We will resume this discussion after I get back from the Summit, but until then, not one word of this will be heard by Naruto. Am I clear?" And then she stormed out of the tent before anyone could issue a reply.

"Well, now what?" Tenten, who had remained silent until now, asked. Her question only increased the tension in the air.

"Now we try to find more answers," Jiraiya said. "My next visit to Myoboku Mountain is overdue. I need to return there soon to speak to the Great Toad Sage. With any luck, he'll have seen another vision which will give us more insight."

"And I guess I'll be spending most of my spare time running surveillance on the Hyūga compound," Kakashi added with a sigh. "Someone needs to keep an eye on Naruto and make sure the Hyūga Clan doesn't try to pull any fast ones on us."

Any responses to that were, again, stopped by another interruption from outside the tent, this time from the ex-Root ninja Sai. "Is Ino Yamanaka present here?" he asked.

Ino stood up and tightened her blanket around her. "I am," she answered.

Sai looked at the traumatized blonde with an emotionless stare which she found creepy. However, in the next moment his face turned grim and Ino sensed that what he was about to say next would leave her scarred for life.

"You'd better come with me, Ino. It's about your father..."

x-x

Hiashi sat at a desk in a private chamber of the guest house, busying himself with writing letters to various individuals who owed him favors. The slaying of Tomi had been necessary, but Konoha would have a harder time rebuilding without the assistance of the merchant guilds. Word of Tomi's execution would no doubt spread quickly and leave many merchants angry at Hiashi for the killing, but also terrified of the possibility that the Hyūga Clan would turn on them as well.

The clan head sighed and stood up briefly to stretch his limbs. He was guilty of so many sins in his life and he had only recently started to atone for them. He wondered if it was even possible to atone. What's more, he knew there were still sins required of him that were arguably worse than the ones that preceded them. But if it meant securing the well-being of his daughter and her chosen, even if that meant they would hate him for the rest of their lives...

He was torn away from his thoughts when the door slid open. There was no announcement, but that also meant he had no need of verbal identification for his visitor.

"Hiashi," his father Hoshu, the head elder of the clan, spoke up. "We need to talk."

Hiashi folded his arms as he turned to face his father. "I assume you are here because of the incident involving Uzumaki-san?" he said bluntly.

"Why take that tone, Hiashi? I am here to praise you for your recent actions. The Plan is in full motion now, yes? With the Kyūbi child in our custody, we can quickly elevate our position in the village."

"Take care what you say, Otō-san," Hiashi warned the elder. "Those words could be easily misconstrued to suggest a willingness to wage war against two of the Sannin. One would wonder if you have gone blind."

The elder gave son a look of surprise for half a second. "You were never good with humor, Hiashi."

"Only because I inherited that failing from you," Hiashi quipped. "If this is a business meeting, I suggest you get to the point."

"Very well." Hoshu waved his hand dismissively. "While the deed was necessary, it is still regrettable that you were forced to execute Tomi-san. His guild has always been a great benefactor to the clan. But no matter. There are others we can still use. There are...certain others in the clan who wish to force the guilds back into negotiations. They want you to use Uzumaki to intimidate them."

"How many times must I issue the reminder that I will do no such thing?" Hiashi muttered.

Hoshu's eyes, faded that they were, showed clear annoyance. "And how many times must I remind you that these individuals are more than willing to seal your daughter should they deem it necessary to ensure your compliance?"

The statement from Hoshu was met by the sharp touch of metal to flesh. Hiashi's temper was exceptionally short tonight and he was quick to respond to threats, even if it meant pressing a katana to his own father's neck.

"Any attempt to harm Hinata will cause the instigators to meet the same fate as that trash I left on our doorsteps," Hiashi promised. Hoshu was not only unfazed, he activated his Byakugan to stare down his son.

"The other elders will not take kindly to the knowledge that you are willing to turn your sword against them...against your own father," Hoshu needlessly pointed out. "They are already wondering if you have gone too soft," which really meant they were questioning Hiashi's sanity, "by enacting some of your plans to reform the clan and show greater leniency towards the Branch House."

"And yet you are more than willing to ignore our traditions when it suits you to do so. You would dare to suggest a willingness to brand your own granddaughter with our juinjutsu even though clan law explicitly states that all females born of the Main House are immune to receiving the seal. The days of the elders attempting to manipulate me into obeying their will ended a long time ago. I am not their figurehead."

"Hinata's performance as a kunoichi has yet to improve to an adequate level, Hiashi. She is still seen as a failure. Do not forget that it was you who made the decision to disinherit her."

"As I recall, you _coerced_ me into pitting my daughters against one another that day," Hiashi spat. "While I may still agree with you on the point that Hinata is unsuited for the responsibilities that come with the title of clan head, let us remember that the reason she threw the match against Hanabi is because she did not want to harm her sister. Hinata embodies qualities the Hyūga Clan lost a long time ago, qualities the clan _needs_ if it wishes to adapt and survive. Besides, we both know Hinata never truly wanted the position. She is clearly far happier now than she would have been had she retained her former title."

"And that is why she has not cast off the stigma she carries as a symbol of weakness," Hoshu insisted. "You should have chosen someone stronger to bear the children of Uzumaki. Not a girl who just two years ago, according to your own words, you did not care whether she lived or died."

Hiashi gripped his katana so tightly that the handle began to chafe at his hand. "I admit that I have made some terrible mistakes in regards to Hinata. Terrible enough that I doubt her ability to forgive me. But healing the rift in the clan and giving her a chance at love are not among those mistakes. Hinata will help show the Hyūga the right path and Naruto will be at her side to make sure we walk that path!"

Hoshu stayed silent for several long moments, contemplating his son's declaration, then harrumphed and turned around. "Whether your implementation of The Plan will prove to be a mistake, as many of the old guard still believe, remains to be seen. Before I dismiss myself, ask yourself this, Hiashi. Are you truly prepared to make an enemy of the elders? Are you willing to add their enmity to your list of regrets?"

"I already have too many regrets to burden me. Most of them were because I listened to your counsel instead of following my heart, choosing to follow your perceptions of the greater good rather than do right by my daughters, my wife, or my brother or nephew." Hiashi kept his katana pointed at the head elder as he added, "I swear on my honor as a Hyūga that I will show no mercy to anyone who threatens Hanabi, Hinata, Neji or Naruto. Not even you, Otō-san."

"Then let us hope that this course of action will not lead the Hyūga Clan to its doom." With that statement, Hoshu dismissed himself.

Hiashi remained where he stood for a few seconds longer to watch as Hoshu left. Then he quickly returned to his desk and pulled out a blank scroll, hastily inscribing a message on the parchment before sealing it. It was unclear what side Hoshu would fall on in the impending conflict, but the warning in his message was clear: the elders were about to force Hiashi's hand and it was also unclear whether he could make them back down without a violent demonstration of his authority.

"Kō-san!" Hiashi shouted. Within seconds, Hinata's bodyguard was kneeling before him, ready to serve.

"What is thy bidding, milord?" Kō asked.

"Take this scroll to Shikaku-san and be quick about it," Hiashi commanded. "Then I want you to gather Natsu-san, Tokuma-san, and as many others as you believe can be trusted, and move Hanabi, Hinata, and Naruto-san to a safe location."

"It will be done, Hiashi-sama. But may I ask why?"

Hiashi looked up towards the general direction of the bedroom where Hinata was resting. For a moment, he lost himself in his thoughts, but pulled himself out of the reverie; now was the time to act decisively. "There is a strong possibility that the elders are plotting a coup. We must move quickly to avert the disaster they would bring down upon us, Kō-san. The fate of the Hyūga Clan will be decided tonight."

Before Kō could fully acknowledge the order and leave, there was another rustle behind the door. Both of them tensed, despite having their Byakugan activated to confirm that it was Kakashi.

"You sure know how to make a fellow shinobi feel welcome," Kakashi remarked as he walked inside the chamber.

"Hatake-san," Hiashi acknowledged the copy ninja.

"Let's be clear on one thing, Hyūga-sama. I don't trust you so far as I can throw you. However, after what just happened, I might yet be convinced that you do want to change."

"So Hokage-sama sent you to spy on me," Hiashi observed.

"Actually, I'm here for Naruto, but also...yeah," Kakashi replied, mirthfully at the end, giving the Hyūga patriarch his patented eye smile. Hiashi relaxed slightly at the Copy Ninja's inappropriate antics, his eyes showing just a slight trace of amusement.

"And how much of that meeting did you overhear, Hatake-san?"

"Enough that I only have one question to ask." Kakashi used his good hand to lift up his forehead protector and uncover his implanted Sharingan, and then asked that one question: "How can I help?"

x-x

"So this is what he meant..." Ino whispered as she knelt in front of her father's gravestone.

She hadn't believed Dark Naruto at first when he claimed it was "time for her to join her father in hell". She'd filed away the declaration under his ever-growing list of threats against/rants about the shinobi world in general. That had been despite her starting to understand that his power was great enough that he could probably make good on any and every threat he issued.

When Sai's tone had turned ominous inside the tent, she still wanted to wish that the yōkai's raving was still nothing more than a currently empty threat. But the feeling of dread kept building within her as they moved closer to her clan's burial grounds. And now, the reality was dropped on her like one of Jiraiya's toad summons, crushing her soul.

"No!" Ino screamed, gripping her head as her tears started falling. "This isn't happening, this can't be happening! I should have been there! I should have done something!" she went on, pounding the dirt directly in front of the gravestone. Of course, her recent experience as one of Dark Naruto's captives proved her wrong; and after seeing the things that demon was capable of, she had every reason to doubt that anyone could do anything against him. But that knowledge did precisely nothing to assuage her grief...

...or lessen the anger and hate she wanted to feel towards the demon's counterpart from the Konoha Eleven.

 _'Naruto,'_ Ino thought, her sorrow morphing into that hatred for a few seconds. But she bit off that thought and shook her head, forcing herself to remember what else had happened during her captivity. _'No, I can't let myself think this is his fault. If I do, I'll be breaking my promise to Yuzuki.'_ Yet it would not be so easy to keep that promise. Knowing that Naruto's future self had been the one to destroy Konoha and cause the survivors to suffer, no matter what efforts she made to let it go, she would not be able to look at the blond knucklehead the same way again. Not after learning of the evil he could become.

All the while, Sai just stood behind her. Ino didn't yet know that the yōkai was not the reason Inoichi was dead and his corpse was cremated after the tornadic storm which started after her father's murderer was slain during an attempted coup against Tsunade. He was torn between two things: pondering the emotions which overwhelmed the grieving teen, and processing some of the scenarios that would unfold if he were to reveal the truth of her father's death. With what little he knew about social graces, he decided now was not the best time to break that news to her. Instead, he settled on what he had heard of the Yamanaka Clan's current situation.

"The elders in your clan were demanding that trackers be sent out to find you after you disappeared," he said. "They are also demanding that you be pulled from the active shinobi roster and take on the mantle of clan head, and the responsibilities which come with the title."

Ino laughed bitterly at the obvious, cold statement from Sai. "That's the elders for you. Those old bastards couldn't even give Papa a proper funeral."

"It is my understanding that doing so would have been a waste of time better used to aid the less fortunate. This village is in ruins, its survivors in disarray. Mourning is a luxury we cannot afford at this time." He didn't intend to be cruel; he had no knowledge of how to do so anyway. It simply seemed like the most logical line of reasoning.

Of course, had Sai had any tact he would have known it was also the wrong thing to say. Which he learned a few seconds later, when Ino turned on him and punched him in the face.

"You don't think I know that?! What would you have me do? Am I supposed to just act like none of this happened?!" Ino screamed at him, gripping him by the collar of his midriff shirt. "You don't know what I've been through or what I've seen!"

"A fallacious argument, since it implies ignorance of the other party's ordeals," Sai pointed out. "I must mention that I also encountered that demon during the storm and was engaged in a losing battle against him. I possess at least a partial awareness of his abilities."

"So you lost a fight! Boo hoo! That doesn't mean you have any idea what that thing is capable of!" Ino kept yelling. To further her argument, she pushed down the collar of her shirt, exposing her shoulder. Sai did a double take as his eyes focused on the black spot there. At first, it looked like bruising, but on closer inspection, he found that the mark was pulsing.

"Is that a seal of some sort?" Sai asked, now driven by morbid curiosity. Just what had happened to Ino while she was the demon's prisoner?

Ino let go of her collar and sighed. "Probably. I don't know. It appeared shortly after the demon sent me back here. It doesn't hurt, but...as long as I have it, I can't use any chakra." To prove it, she formed the hand signs for the Mystical Palm Jutsu, only to completely fail to channel her chakra.

"Does Hokage-sama know about this mark?"

"Tsunade-sama was pretty thorough in her examination. But she has too much to deal with already, just like everyone else. She doesn't have the time to waste on fixing me up right now. Besides, I don't want to be a burden. No, that isn't quite right. I can't _afford_ to be a burden." Ino laughed bitterly as she turned away from Sai and back towards her father's gravestone. "You're right about one thing. I'm crying when I should be making myself useful."

"So if you know what it is you have to do, why aren't you doing it? If for no other reason than to honor your father's memory?"

"Don't you think I know that?" Ino yelled again. "I know what I'm supposed to be doing right now, but I just...I just can't do it! I can't do anything right now! Not while I'm hurting like this!"

 _'Is this what Shin might have felt had I been the one to die during our training?'_ Sai wondered, his thoughts drifting towards his deceased surrogate brother as he watched Ino collapse onto the ground and whimper. Her cries and the midnight breeze were the only sounds that could be heard as the former Root Anbu contemplated the blonde's negative emotions, emotions which he had lost the ability to feel during his training. And he could not help but wonder whether he was better or worse off for it.

"For what it's worth, Ino, I do offer my condolences for your loss," Sai spoke up after after having allowed Ino several minutes to grieve. Ino forced herself to stand and face him while still sniffling.

"I think it's a bit early for us to be on a first-name basis, after everything you told me," Ino growled.

"I apologize. I did not think it was fair to address you by your surname since I do not have one of my own." Sai then attempted to lighten the mood by adding, "Would you prefer if I gave you a nickname? I am not well versed in social protocols, so Hokage-sama ordered me to read a certain book while I rest, and one of the things this book mentioned was—"

Ino cut him off by knocking him upside the head. "Ino will work," she kept growling. _'I know this guy just said as much, but he really doesn't know how to act like a normal person.'_

"Well, okay then," Sai said nervously, giving her a fake laugh. _'Why didn't I dodge or parry that attack?'_ he wondered, feeling...and that was what made all of this so strange to him. He was feeling _something,_ but after suppressing his feelings for so long, he had no way of recognizing _what_ it was he felt. "In the meantime, Ino-san—"

"Ino!" a feminine voice yelled, leaving Sai's train of thought to crash and burn. Ino turned away from him again and faced the entrance to the burial grounds to find Tenten calling for her, accompanied by Chōji and Shikamaru.

"Jeez, Tenten. Can't you leave me alone for a few minutes?" Ino snapped at her comrades.

"I know this is a bad time, Ino," Chōji said. It was a woeful understatement of the fact.

"But as is typical for us, bad is about to turn into worse," Shikamaru pointed out. "So don't make this any more of a drag than it already is." He pointed in the direction of the Hyūga district just in time for them to hear an explosion and see smoke trails coming from that direction. Ino jogged past him to get a better view, then stepped backwards as the scenery made his point sink in.

"What the hell is going on?" Ino demanded.

"I would think that you already have the answer to that question," another voice answered. Tenten and Shikamaru turned around to see Neji make his approach, and the stoic member of Team Guy looked like hell as he leaned on Lee to support his weight.

"The Hyūga elders have concocted a most dastardly plot to usurp control over Konoha," Lee explained. "With Hokage-sama absent and our shinobi forces depleted, Hiashi-sama is calling on anyone who is willing to aid him in stopping the rebellion before it spreads beyond his district. We must hurry, or there will be more casualties than we can afford to suffer at this time."

"What are they thinking?" Ino asked angrily.

"They _aren't,"_ Neji bluntly corrected her. "There is still a great divide in the clan. Hiashi-sama is doing his best to address the situation until reinforcements arrive, but far more of our clansmen have sided with the elders than he anticipated."

"And what good would it do for me to be there?"

"That's not our fight, Ino," Tenten spoke up. "Hiashi-sama wants us to get his daughters and Naruto out of there."

"What?!" Ino screeched. "Why is Naruto even in the Hyūga complex?"

"There is no time for me to explain," Neji said, nudging Lee to let him go. "I will go over the details once this situation is under control."

"That conversation's gonna be a real pain in the neck to have," Shikamaru groaned, rubbing his neck in anticipation of the pain. "Alright, everyone, listen carefully. Our mission is to rescue Naruto, Hinata and Hanabi from the compound and keep them from getting involved in the coup. We will be operating alongside the Hyūga sisters' caretakers Kō-san and Natsu-san for the duration. Do not engage in battle with any Hyūga unless there are no alternatives to combat, and if combat is unavoidable, use only non-lethal force. Are we clear?"

"Pardon me, Shikamaru-san, but I do not understand why I am being included in this operation," Sai said. "It seems illogical, since you have no reason to trust me."

"Hokage-sama ordered me to keep you under supervision, Sai," an annoyed Shikamaru explained. "Right now, I am your commanding officer, and it is my understanding that you are completely loyal to your superiors."

Sai nodded and gave Shikamaru a smile so fake it made the lazy genius flinch. "Then I will look forward to working with you," he said as he jumped away from the burial grounds and onto the rooftops of the few buildings which still stood, and the other males in the mission team followed suit.

"Man, that guy is creepy..." Tenten said to herself as she did a brief weapons check before catching up. She was about to chase after the rest of her team when she saw that Ino was still standing in place. "Hey Ino, are you okay?" she asked.

"Huh?" Ino said, looking up to face Tenten. "No I'm not, but I will be. I'm just lost in thought right now." She tensed up when Tenten walked towards her, and to her complete surprise, hugged her.

"This wasn't your fault," Tenten whispered. "You gotta understand that this wasn't your fault." Ino's eyes widened at the reassurance, then she blinked her eyes rapidly to stop herself from crying.

"Way to point out the obvious there, Tenten," Ino quipped, returning the brunette's embrace.

"But I guess Hokage-sama is right," Tenten added as she let go of Ino and moved away. "We can't tell Naruto that we know about Yuzuki. Not yet, at least."

Ino let out a forced laugh. "You're thinking too much!" she yelled as she jumped ahead of the weapons specialist to follow after her teammates.

x-x

Dark Naruto sat on Yuzuki's bed, holding his comatose goddess in his lap and gently stroking her long hair, trying to make sense of what her suicide attempt had wrought and how it was forcing him to accelerate his plans and take more desperate measures.

 _ **'As much as I want Sakura to make haste, I can't force her to hurry. She needs time to make the drug. Keeping Yuzuki asleep until then is the only way to protect her from doing herself anymore harm. But even then...'**_

The yōkai had taken note of other physical changes to Yuzuki and was alarmed. The scar over her eye was just the beginning; using his chakra to keep her in an induced sleep was accelerating the merging process, and her height had shrunk a few more centimeters, now being equal to her younger self. Her hair had also changed accordingly.

 _ **'I cannot leave her side no matter the reason. I don't like taking this risk, but I'll have to rely on my shadow clones to capture the tailed beasts and take down the remaining members of Akatsuki, starting with Deidara and Sasori.'**_ The biggest risk in doing so is that his clones would not be able to invoke the invulnerability jutsu as a last resort. From his previous battles since transforming into his present form, Dark Naruto had determined the first major flaw of his ability to render himself immune to damage: that ability depended on his mental fortitude, which was affected by the number of shadow clones he maintained. The ability itself placed only minimal strain on his endless supply of chakra, but the more clones he made, the weaker they were overall, having the amount of maximum chakra they could access reduced dramatically, and the harder it was for him to issue commands to them after they were created. The one upside to this issue was that the clones made it harder for him to get hit by a fūinjutsu, the one category of technique that would defeat him despite his invulnerability.

It was an upside he could not exploit against Deidara and Sasori. As far as he was aware, the two "artists" of Akatsuki possessed exactly no fūinjutsu in their arsenal, at least not any that were relevant in battle. His clones that would be sent out to fight them would not be able to use the invulnerability technique unless he dismissed the other clones he had posted throughout the Five Great Shinobi Nations gathering intel, something he absolutely could not afford to do. Both Deidara and Sasori also had very threatening area-of-effect techniques to worry about: Sasori of the Red Sand, infamous rogue puppeteer, was capable of controlling as many as one hundred puppets at once. Trying to beat him at the numbers game without being able to enter the fight himself would be a terrible folly. Deidara, the terrorist bomber formerly of Iwa and an aerial fighter, was the bigger threat with his kinjutsu and Explosion Style kekkei genkai: some of his clay bombs were powerful enough to destroy entire villages if they went off.

But the biggest problem was their intelligence. Unlike Hidan, Dark Naruto knew it would be harder to provoke them into slipping up despite the obvious berserk button the two shared when it came to their opposing views on art. That they were able to work well together despite their opposing beliefs was a testament to their intelligence. And worse still, their constant attempts to outdo the other and prove which of their beliefs was superior were actually a _benefit_ to their partnership when they entered battle.

The biggest advantage Dark Naruto had over them was the sheer size of his chakra reserves. Up to a certain point, his shadow clones would be able to make their own shadow clones, though the Law of Diminishing Returns would come into play. If necessary, he could send more clones to the battle site through the ethereal doorway to prolong the fight in his favor. However, attempting to exploit these advantages came with the risk of revealing information about his abilities to Zetsu. He would know without a doubt if Zetsu was spying on the battle due to his sensory abilities, but that didn't mean he would actually be able to do something about that particular annoyance if it showed up.

 _ **'I also need to consider the location,'**_ Dark Naruto observed. **_'If they're not being sent to capture Gaara, then the only other target they would have is the Three-Tails, Isobu. The Three-Tails doesn't have a jinchūriki right now and is roaming free. It'll be the biggest wild card in the fight, should it appear. Hmm...'_** The yōkai paused a moment to consider how the presence of Isobu would impact the fight...

And that was when he realized how he would win.

 _ **'Of course. What better way to ensure my success than to play them against each other? Isobu won't side with me, but it won't side with the Akatsuki either. Better to let the artists fight Isobu first. Whichever party wins that fight will come out of it weakened. And that will be the best time to strike.'**_ With the battle plan in place, Dark Naruto made the modified Ram seal to create a pair of clones, each looking at the original in envy before making themselves scarce with a Body Flicker when the original glared at them. As the clones left towards their destination, he looked down at the sleeping Yuzuki and smiled evilly.

 **"Soon, my queen. Soon, you'll take the first steps towards awakening your true form..."**

x-x

 **Editor's Note: The Devil's Breath is an actual drug. Hyoscine hydrobromide, or scopolamine hydrobromide in the USA, is made from the _Solanaceae_ family of plants, which grow most commonly in South America. Drug dealers in Columbia use scopolamine to eliminate the free will of their victims and prevent them from remembering anything that happened while they were under the influence. The drug is typically added to a person's drink or blown into their faces, turning them into zombies within minutes. Colombian Devil's Breath is considered by many to be the "world's scariest drug".**

 **While this probably wasn't intentional, at least on my end, Dark Naruto vs. Hagoromo in this chapter represents the difference between my viewpoint and the author's on the issue of Dark Naruto's feelings. Dark Naruto believes that Naruto suppressed his love for Hinata (the author's stance). Hagoromo, and also the light half of Future!Naruto before his absorption, insist that Naruto was simply not aware that he loved Hinata and was unable to realize that she loves him due to his stunted growth, and that Dark Naruto is unable to love (my stance).**

 **On the Hyūga Elder's name – The Hyūga of Hiashi's bloodline largely fall into the Alliterative Family trope (Hinata, Hanabi, Hiashi, Hizashi, and later Himawari Uzumaki), creating a slight problem of how to maintain the trope while still choosing a name for Hiashi's father that is somewhat fitting. The author decided to use the name Hoshu, which means "conservative".**

 **Regarding the issue of the juinjutsu in that same scene – Traditionally, females born into a clan during the Edo period of Japan were not allowed to start a cadet branch of their clan, hence Hiashi's statement that Hinata cannot be sealed. By no means does this stop the elders from wanting to make an exception for her because they still perceive her as being weak.**

 **Well, enough on the chapter. Last weekend was the second anniversary of NaruHina canonization and we felt it was important to finish the chapter in time for it...even if, regrettably, Naruto and Hinata (or at least, their past selves) do not make an appearance in this chapter. But alas, life happened and delayed the upload.**

 **Review Replies**

 **nightwind83: I must apologize for the excessive length of the Hiashi scenes. The author felt it was necessary to give Hiashi longer scenes for the sake of character development, and a big part of the length issue is also my fault. As for The Plan, Hiashi is fully aware of the risks and even his internal thoughts reveal that much.**

 **NarHina: As you can tell from his dialogue and internal thoughts, Dark Naruto believes this is all for Yuzuki's benefit, but wrongly so.**

 **While I am in agreement with you regarding the inclusion of Tazuna and co., the author had not originally planned to have the people of Wave make an appearance in this story despite the fact that Dark Naruto relocated to Wave Country after destroying Konoha. Whether your review changed his mind remains to be seen.**

 **The Abyssal Rasenshuriken wasn't intended to be much different from the original aside from aesthetically, since Dark Naruto's chakra is black (whereas Naruto's chakra is yellow in the manga). The name was so chosen because that black color makes the victim feel like they are staring into an endless abyss, or into death itself, as the Rasenshuriken approaches. But...perhaps that question might put another idea into the author's head...**

 **Ashamaphone: Yes, Hiashi does get a lot of bad treatment from authors on this site and it is really unfair of them to constantly turn him into something he's not. We can't say with the accuracy we'd like that this Hiashi stays truer to his canon portrayal, but we at least try.**

 **A/N: Hey guys, whew just barely managed to post this after the clock struck 12, sorry about that. I wanted to post it on the anniversary of the manga's ending but I had tickets to a special event and it ran later than I had thought it would. The first thing to note is that Yuzuki's physical appearance is now identical to Hinata's Shippūden form due to the merging process. Second, Hagoromo will not appear again for a while because as Dark Naruto said in the first scene, there is nothing the Sage can do at this time. And third, the scene with Dark Naruto and the Sage does indeed represent me and my editor's differing viewpoints on Dark Naruto. I do try to listen to his advice and am thankful for it because I could mess up the characters if I don't. It's just my personal belief that Naruto, regardless of whether his dark half is in control, can't stop loving Hinata. Anyway, please leave your feedback with a revie**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: The Hyūga's Strife**

 _One hour before the Hyūga crisis_

It felt so wrong to Naruto for him to be here instead of out and about in the village, doing his part to help Konoha recover from the storm.

The blond jinchūriki sat outside the guest house, watching the moon travel across the night sky as he tried to make sense of everything that had happened. It had now been a full twenty-four hours since Hinata fell unconscious during the ordeal caused by that swine Tomi and she had yet to awaken. Naruto had spent all of the daylight hours at bedside, impatiently waiting for her to wake up, but with no luck. He would have rather spent that time outside the Hyūga district, assisting his fellow villagers with the cleanup efforts. However, Hiashi had ordered him to stay in the guest house until further notice and Neji was more than willing to enforce that order. They said that until the situation both within the clan and in the rest of Konoha had calmed down, it was for the best that he remained unseen by anyone else.

 _'Wow, doesn't that have a familiar ring to it,'_ he thought bitterly. All his life, people had gone out of their way to pretend he didn't exist, and now someone was telling him that he had to disappear from their existence, for his own good. _'Then again, if I left and Hinata woke up while I was gone, she'd probably lecture me again when she found me.'_ He didn't mind that, though; he was grateful that Hinata cared enough to do that for him. But after everything that had happened, he didn't know if he would ever be able to trust her with the secrets Dark Naruto had forced him to hear while he was caught in the demon's choke hold.

 _ **"You're**_ **STILL** _ **in denial,"**_ his demonic dark half had told him the night Konoha was destroyed. _ **"Nobody wanted or will ever want you except Hinata. She is the only person in this godforsaken world who gives two shits about you. Naturally only Hinata could be compassionate enough to take a brat like you in and care for you. Naturally only she could be strong enough, and selfless enough, to let go of her feelings for you and sacrifice her happiness to secure your own."**_

Naruto sighed deeply and clenched his fists as that memory replayed itself in his mind. _'Was he right? Is Hinata the only person that really cares?'_ He shook off the question almost right away, though: _'That's not true! Iruka-sensei, Ero-sennin, Tsunade-bā-chan, Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei all care! They all believe in me! But...'_ Most of Dark Naruto's words were lies, but there was just enough truth mixed in that made him doubt himself. Every person he had just listed in his thoughts was someone who only came around after he'd proven himself to them. It was the same with almost all of his other friends. Hinata was the one and only exception to that rule. She alone had supported Naruto unconditionally, even if he hadn't realized it until recently. _'Was that really why my dark half became that demon everyone always wrongly feared I was? Was I really so focused on proving them wrong and getting them to acknowledge me that I neglected the one person who'd already acknowledged me?'_ Before that night, Naruto had managed to figure out that his dark half was, in fact, an entity from the future. However, he'd thought back then that his dark half was only trying to warn him about what could happen. He hadn't counted on his own inner doubts and regrets being strong enough that they could cause his dark half to prove the villagers right about their mistaken perceptions.

But even worse than that was his failure—correction, his _refusal—_ to open his eyes and see who Yuzuki really is.

"This is so screwed up," Naruto said aloud, his voice shaky as he sat down and pressed his face to his knees. Hinata had come to his rescue like he knew, deep down, that she always would. Except that time, she had chosen to sacrifice any chance of having a romantic relationship with him by giving him a different relationship, one he'd been denied due to the circumstances of his birth: the bond between a mother and her son. _'Why does she always hurt and sacrifice herself for my sake...?'_

"Naruto-kun?" the gentle voice that could only be Hinata's asked. Naruto lifted his head and saw his beloved climbing off her mattress and sluggishly walking towards him, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Hey, Hinata," Naruto answered her call and was about to pat the space next to him when he noticed what she was wearing, and used that hand to stifle a giggle.

"What's so funny?" Hinata half-asked, half-yawned. Naruto couldn't hold it in and outright laughed at her, while pointing a shaking finger at her to indicate his source of humor. She looked down at herself...

...and that was when she noticed that after she had fallen unconscious, Natsu had undressed her. She was currently wearing a frilly set of lavender button-up pajamas that, when coupled with her shorter haircut, made her look like a little girl again.

"Eek!" Hinata shouted and quickly rushed back into the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. For the next few minutes, she tore through her dresser looking for her regular clothes while Naruto kept laughing at the incident from outside. His laughter only stopped when the noises from the bedroom stopped, and only then did Hinata walk back outside, now wearing her regular training/mission clothes.

"Sorry, Hinata," Naruto halfheartedly apologized. "You were just way too cute in those pajamas, y'know?"

 _'I hate you, Natsu,'_ Hinata inwardly cursed her sister's personal attendant as she took the space next to Naruto that he had tried to offer her the first time she stepped out onto the patio.

"What was I saying before?" Naruto continued. "Oh, right. I was thinking about how glad I was that you're awake now."

"How long was I asleep?" Hinata asked, biting back another yawn.

"About a day," Naruto answered in a bitter tone. "Your old man won't let me go anywhere." Hinata's eyes widened at his answer and she blushed deeply at the implications.

"A d-day?" Hinata stammered. _'Does this mean...that Naruto-kun slept next to me?'_

Not knowing what Hinata was thinking, Naruto nodded. "Yeah. I've been bored out of my mind waiting for you to wake up. I couldn't sleep at all and besides, I didn't know where you guys were keeping the extra futons."

Hinata let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. "Oh. I see," she said, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"It's fine, though. I've had a lot of time to think about some stuff."

Hinata's facial expression showed no small amount of worry as she looked Naruto in the eye. Whenever Naruto was left alone and tried to think deeply, it usually meant that something was wrong. "Oh? What were you thinking about?"

Naruto paused to contemplate her question. She was only looking out for his well-being, but...that just wasn't enough, not after his dark half had torn him apart as thoroughly as he tore the village apart. _'I can't tell her,'_ he thought. _'What would Hinata do if she knew that all of this was because of me? What would she say if I told her that she and Yuzuki-kā-chan are the same person? There's no way she'll believe me. And even if she does believe me, she'll never forgive me. This may be selfish of me, but...if I want her to stay with me, I have no choice but to lie to her...'_

"It's nothing important," he told Hinata. But she immediately called him out on his lie by burying her head into his shoulder, taking him by surprise. "Whoa, Hinata! What—"

"Why do you still not trust me?" Hinata cut him off, breaking into a crying fit. Naruto's shirt quickly turned damp from her tears and his heart sunk into a deep abyss. He was only trying to protect her...but why was it that all of his efforts to protect her only caused him to hurt her?

"I'm sorry, Hinata. Please don't hate me...please don't push me away..." Naruto whispered, wrapping his other arm around her and allowing his own tears to fall freely on her shoulder.

The broken pair stayed like that for a long time, spilling their tears together and tuning out everything else. They were so caught up in their mutual misery that were it not for Kō walking in on them, they would not have heard the loud explosion that went off close to them.

"Kō-san!" Hinata shouted at her bodyguard, blushing furiously at his barging in on her intimate moment with Naruto.

"We don't have time for this, Hinata-sama. Both you and Naruto-san need to get out of the complex as quickly as possible."

"What's going on?" Naruto asked, showing worry where Hinata was still fighting off embarrassment. Kō's face turned morbid as he answered,

"It's the elders. They are staging a coup."

x-x

Once Sai, Team Asuma and Team Guy arrived at the Hyūga district they found that things were already going from bad to worse. Many of the Hyūga were being forced into a large group by other shinobi present, shouting an incoherent mess of words that got lost in the background noise due to the lack of synchronization.

"Hopefully _that_ makes our task a little easier," Shikamaru said, pointing out the confined mob that had to compose of a large portion of the clan. "Spread out and search for our targets. Remember, do not engage any Hyūga in battle unless a confrontation is unavoidable," he reissued the order to the others. They nodded and, with the exception of Sai who was under orders to stay in Shikamaru's visual range, all split off in different directions in search of their targets.

"This exercise seems pointless," Sai observed, giving Shikamaru his fake smile. "If our own group includes a Hyūga, should we have not already located our objective?"

"You forget that Neji belongs to the Branch House," Shikamaru said in an annoyed tone. "That makes him the least valuable member of our search party. If anyone from the Main House who's sided against Hiashi-sama catches on to his actions..." The lazy Nara's voice trailed off, letting the unsaid words hang in the air. He then groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Damn it, there's already so much commotion. How are we supposed to find them, never mind get them out? This is such a drag."

"That is the second reason why I have the impression that this is an exercise in futility. If Hiashi-sama was aware of this uprising before it occurred, even if he only had a moment's notice, would he have not already had our targets moved elsewhere?" Sai inquired.

"The fact Neji was sent to us as a messenger shows that he did take some precautions in place to deal with such an event as this. But the fact we're here also proves that those precautions weren't enough." Shikamaru shook his head and groaned again. "It's highly unlikely that they're still in the main building. That area will be the center of attention, so I doubt Hiashi-sama would have allowed Naruto or his daughters to remain inside."

"So if Neji cannot use his Byakugan to aid us and our targets are not inside the main building, then where do you suggest we focus our search?"

The question elicited a third groan from Shikamaru as he considered it and tried to think of any likely locations in the district where Naruto, Hinata and Hanabi would be holed up, but even his intellect was having trouble producing a logical answer. _'If they were warned beforehand, they can't still be in the guest house either. Sai's right, they shouldn't still be in the compound at all. If they're still here, the only place they could be is trapped within that damned mob.'_

Just as Shikamaru was about to tell Sai they had to step into the belly of the beast, he caught a glimpse of Lee running towards him in his peripheral vision. Shikamaru turned around to find that Lee, Chōji and Neji had located Hanabi and were now regrouping. However, he also noticed from Neji's posture that there had been an incident.

"What happened?" Shikamaru asked. "Is everyone alright?"

"Hanabi-sama is unharmed," Neji wheezed out, leaning on Lee for support. "But when we found Hanabi-sama, there were three enemies going after her as well. One of them..." and Neji collapsed before he could finish his explanation.

"When Neji fought against his own clansmen to protect Hanabi-san, one of them activated his seal," Lee finished for Neji while helping him back up. "It was a most unyouthful act by that person. But he will not be able to perform that act again." Informing Shikamaru that Lee and Chōji had killed the Hyūga in question. "Neji is in great pain, but he insists that he will recover and be able to finish carrying out our duties."

Shikamaru nodded at the grim report from the normally energetic Lee. "Well, at least Hanabi is secure now. Where's Naruto and Hinata?"

"Ane-ue and Naruto-san ran off with Kō-san when the coup started," Hanabi answered. "I think they might try to stop it on their own."

Shikamaru smacked himself in the face and uttered a few choice words under his breath. "Great. Just perfect."

"I do believe that is supposed to be a bad thing, Shikamaru-san," Sai commented. Hanabi snapped around and gave him a look of bewilderment.

"Do you not know what sarcasm is?" Hanabi brazenly asked the ex-Root shinobi.

"On the contrary, I do know the definition of the term. However, as I just clearly demonstrated, his comment's real meaning is bound to be lost on those who have experienced the same conditioning as myself."

"Can we not discuss Sai's mental issues at this time?" Neji groaned, eyebrows twitching as he indicated the mob. "Subduing the clan must become our highest priority."

"What are they even doing?" Hanabi asked, indicating the mob. "This doesn't make sense."

"I believe our clansmen are as lost in their pain as the rest of Konoha, Hanabi-sama, even though we suffered the fewest losses. But that statistic is reason enough for them to believe the rest of the village would bear them ill will." Neji briefly paused and winced at his own words, that were still strained from the lingering pain of the juinjutsu activation. "Most of the Main House have bought into the elders' stance that Oji-sama's reforms are doing the clan more harm than good and believe Oji-sama is unfit to continue leading the clan. Due to the clan's juinjutsu, the Branch House has no choice but to follow suit. I should also point out that Oji-sama believes the elders intended to make Hanabi-sama into their puppet, citing incidents that date back to before Hinata-sama was disinherited of her birthright as evidence to support his belief."

"Like I'd ever listen to those old geezers!" Hanabi snapped.

"If Naruto had not quite literally knocked some sense into me and opened Oji-sama's eyes, you would have continued to let the influence you until you were fully submissive to their will, Hanabi-sama," Neji corrected the heiress. "I believe that even now, you may still be vulnerable to their machinations, if they can hold the right leverage over you." Hanabi scowled but said nothing. As much as she wanted to deny Neji's words, he was right: she had listened just a little too much to her grandfather when she was much younger.

"Enough of this argument," Shikamaru cut in. "Are Naruto and Hinata with that mob?"

"Didn't I already answer that question?" Hanabi screamed. "You're a Nara, you're not supposed to be this stupid!" Despite the heavy tension in the air, Chōji couldn't help himself from snickering at her outburst from the sidelines.

"You only said they could have gone off in that direction, Hanabi-san. You did not actually say that it is where they are now," Sai also corrected Hanabi. "Though it also begs the question of why you are stupid enough to not use your Byakugan to confirm their location."

"In a crowd that size? They could easily be blocked from view by the masses."

"Is that so?" Sai scratched his chin, pondering Hanabi's insistence on making his task more difficult. "Then people are mistaken to call you a prodigy, if you cannot perform such a simple task."

"How dare you—" Hanabi started yelling at Sai, and had to be restrained and cut off mid-rant by Chōji before she could lash out at the pale-skinned teen.

"If Hanabi-san is correct and Naruto-kun and Hinata-san are already in the center of the conflict, then I fear that this will turn into an all-out war," Lee lamented.

"Well let's hope that it doesn't come to that," a new voice said. Everyone present turned to face Kakashi as he walked towards them. The Copy Ninja's right arm was still in a sling, but he had his Sharingan uncovered and both his natural and implanted eyes bore a grave expression.

"Kakashi-sensei, it is good to see you. But might I ask why you are here?"

"Hyūga-sama called on as many allies as he could locate to gather at the district and contain the situation before it turns into a civil war," Kakashi explained. "Right now, every available shinobi in Konoha who is not a medic and is not still injured from the New Years' tornadic storm three nights ago is present. There have been a couple of skirmishes, but the two groups are in currently a stand off. I don't know how much longer we can stall before taking decisive action."

"Is it that bad?" Chōji asked.

"As Neji may have already explained, the majority of the clan from both houses have sided with the elders against Hyūga-sama. If worse comes to worse, we'll have a repeat of the Uchiha Massacre on our hands."

"You can't do that!" Hanabi screamed. "This is my clan you're talking about!"

"The Hyūga Clan are currently in violation of the peace," Kakashi coldly stated. "This is their last chance to back down. If they fail to comply, they will all be killed."

"It won't do us any good if we don't calm down ourselves," Shikamaru rejoined the conversation. "None of us can have the destruction of an entire clan on our conscience."

Kakashi sighed deeply. "I will do what I must, Shikamaru. You and your friends need to be prepared to do the same."

"No!" Hanabi screamed again. "There has to be a way to end this without going to such extremes!"

"I am still confident that we will find a peaceful solution to this crisis, Hanabi-san," Lee tried to reassure Hanabi. "But first, we must complete our own mission and find..." he tried to finish, but cut himself off when he felt a dark shift in the air. Everyone else in the district also went deathly quiet as they, too felt the shift.

"Did you all hear that, guys?" Chōji asked. "It got real quiet all of a sudden."

"Yeah...and I don't like it," Shikamaru replied, running towards the mob. The others followed suit and soon enough, confirmed their worst fears.

The shinobi called in to stop the Hyūga uprising were split off into several platoons centered around the mob, ironically taking a formation reminiscent of the Eight Trigrams. The mob itself had been pushed into a circle, but now both groups were involuntarily breaking formation and staring at a single person caught in the mess. By the time Shikamaru arrived and could ask himself what happened to make the crowd go quiet, he saw that both sides were giving their undivided attention to none other than Naruto, giving him glares that were stronger than any he'd ever received as a kid. Aside from Hinata and Hiashi, who were predictably right at Naruto's side, the only person there who wasn't glaring at Naruto was Ino, and Shikamaru saw that her expression was one of utter horror and guilt. Telling him that whatever had just happened, she was at fault.

"No...don't look at me like that..." Naruto pleaded, his voice a shaky whisper. His plea went unheard, and both Hyūga and non-Hyūga murmured amongst themselves, apparently trying to decide how they were supposed to respond to whatever it was that had quieted them all. It was too much for the tormented blond to handle and he pushed his way out of the crowd, running towards the front gates. And Hinata lingered only long enough to whisper an accusing "How could you?" towards Ino before chasing after him.

x-x

 _A few minutes earlier..._

When Ino and Tenten caught up with the others at the Hyūga compound, the former was still in a state of distress. She tried to push it out of her mind as Shikamaru ordered them to split up and locate the Hyūga sisters and Naruto, but without success. She couldn't stop thinking about how Naruto was involved in all of this. Well, it wasn't the Naruto she knew, but that technicality only confused her, and that confusion only added to her turmoil.

Nevertheless, she pushed forward with her partner, going through each individual room in the compound one-by-one while being careful to any Hyūga they came across. Due to the seal Dark Naruto had placed on her, Ino was unable to use her Sensory Jutsu, which made her task far more tedious. It seemed like forever for her to finally locate the blond and blunette at the center of this conflict, being kept inside a dojo close to the far end of the main building.

"It's about time you girls showed up," Naruto complained right after Ino and Tenten slid open the door.

"These stubborn Hyūga didn't exactly make it easy for us to find you," Tenten countered.

"Please do not argue with each other," Hinata softly requested. "I do not mean to be rude, but we do not have the time to squabble amongst one another right now."

"You said it more kindly than I would have, Hinata-sama," another voice said. Ino and Tenten turned towards the sound of the voice and saw Kō walking towards them from the far wall. He was keeping his Byakugan constantly active and the chakra drain was taking its toll on him.

"Don't spook us like that!" Tenten chided Kō.

"My duty is to protect Hinata-sama, and that duty also extends to Naruto-san. In order to fulfill my duty at this time, I must take care to remain unseen by my fellow clansmen, lest they see me as a traitor and strike," Kō explained.

Ino tried again to snap herself out of her thoughts and nodded at Kō. "Yeah. The guys should have found Hanabi by now, so that means we should get out of here."

"If the rest of your group has located Hanabi-sama, I hope they can also secure the safety of her caretaker, Natsu-san. Unlike me, Natsu-san was born into the Branch House, so if she could not escape..."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," Ino said. "Are there any secret passages we can take to get out of here without attracting any unwanted attention?"

Kō shook his head. "Not from this room, Yamanaka-san. And the situation outside is continuing to grow worse."

"How—" Ino tried to ask, but Tenten rushed past her, running out of the room and towards the closest empty room that had a window. Ino followed after Tenten, and saw her frowning at the view.

"The Hyūga are being pushed into a crowd at the center of the district," Tenten observed. "Hiashi-sama is arguing with one of the elders and is trying to stall both sides."

"Chichi-ue is out there?" Hinata asked, joining the other kunoichi at the window.

Ino took a closer look out the window and nodded again. "Yeah, and it doesn't look good. Even from here, I can tell he's gotten into a few fights." Hinata activated her Byakugan to zoom in on the scene and gasped. Ino had understated the problem; Hinata could see through her advanced vision that someone had actually landed hits on Hiashi and gave him a few bruises across his arms. She was just about to rush out the window to help her father when a hand landed on her shoulder, causing her to jolt.

"Don't worry, Hinata," Naruto said, giving her a reassuring smile. "Your old man is too stubborn to let those idiots get their way."

The words did nothing to calm Hinata. "That's exactly what I'm worried about, Naruto-kun," she replied. "Chichi-ue doesn't have your stamina. His limits are far below yours. If this keeps up, I fear that Chichi-ue or someone else will do something that cannot be undone."

"We still need to get through that crowd," Ino reminded them, nudging Hinata to the side to get a better view. A few seconds later, Tenten pushed Ino away and squinted her eyes, then stepped back as she saw a big problem.

"Uh oh..."

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked. Tenten ignored him and turned around to address Kō.

"Kō-san, please tell me that green-haired maid in the mob isn't Natsu," Tenten asked. Kō gasped and ran into the room, Byakugan still active to examine the scene, then clenched his fists. Off to the side, Hinata, who still had her dōjutsu activated, was shaking.

"Damn it," Kō swore. "Someone else got to her before your teammates. Hanabi-sama isn't with her, so she should still be safe, but it looks like Natsu-san is being forced to go along with the elders. Natsu-san seems unharmed, but..."

And right then, the situation deteriorated even further. One of the non-Hyūga shinobi present threw a kunai with an exploding tag attached into the mob. From there, pandemonium erupted. By the time Hiashi caught the kunai and diffused the tag, several other Hyūga retaliated against the task force that had been called in to pacify them, firing off dozens of chakra needles at their attackers. Hiashi was forced to use a large-scale Rotation to quickly repel both parties, and was showing signs of exhaustion afterward. Hinata couldn't take it anymore and broke the window, then jumped outside.

"Wait, Hinata!" Naruto called out, then uttered a silent curse under his breath as he followed after her. Over the past thirty hours since awakening from his induced coma and finding himself a "guest" at the Hyūga estate, he had become somewhat sympathetic towards Hiashi. While actual respect for the clan head was still a long ways off, he was starting to understand why Hinata placed her faith in her father, and why she couldn't stand to see harm come to him. And there was no way he was going to let her run out there alone.

Of course, with his charges bolting off Kō had no choice but to jump out the window as well, with Ino and Tenten following after him. They arrived in time to break up a staring contest between Hiashi and his father Hoshu, who was among those who had been hit by Hiashi's Giant Rotation. Now both of them were giving their undivided attention to him.

"Kō-san, did I not explicitly command you to get yourself, my daughter and her fiancé away from the complex while I diffused this situation?" Hiashi demanded.

"Sorry, old man, but it looked like you need a little help out here," Naruto retorted.

"Forgive me, Hiashi-sama, but—" Kō tried to explain, but Hinata quickly cut him off.

"Otō-sama, why would you do something like this alone? You should have let us help you!" Hinata yelled. She was only expressing her deepest worries after seeing the state her father was in, but the fact she was actually telling Hiashi off was nothing less than extraordinary. However, the crisis did not allow for anyone to reflect on that.

"The needs of the clan outweigh the needs of any one individual, and that especially includes you, Hinata," Hoshu chided the father-daughter duo, showing no lack of contempt towards his granddaughter. "You should know that better than anyone, Hiashi, after you allowed Hizashi and later Tsuki to die for the good of the clan," he added, a low blow to his son.

"Don't you dare bring Okā-san into this!" Hinata screamed. Hiashi brought up his hand to demand silence from her, then issued his own rant towards the elder.

"What gives you the right to speak the names of my late brother and wife? Who are you to muster the gall to make such claims? You, who could not bear the responsibility that comes with leading the clan and passed it on the moment you considered me to have reached the proper age? You, who drove a wedge between your two sons and turned us against one another?"

"The issue is no longer a clan matter, Hiashi. The entire village is falling apart because authority figures such as yourself and Tsunade consistently fail to do what is necessary."

"And declaring civil war against Konoha, bringing about the destruction of our clan, is somehow going to rectify the problem? I cannot fathom how you are able to bring such dishonor upon the Hyūga name."

"Tsunade abandoned the village when it needed her most in the past, and has done so again. I am not to blame for her failures as Hokage, nor for her cowardice. Tsunade is the textbook example of the summer soldier. When things are at their worst, she abdicates her responsibilities and runs."

"Do not attribute her absence to a lack of responsibility, _Oyaji,"_ Hiashi growled at Hoshu, making a few other Hyūga gasp at his extremely disrespectful form of address towards the elder. "There will be words with Hokage-sama when she returns, but there will also be a confrontation with the Raikage for demanding the Five Kage Summit be convened at this perilous hour. Provided we survive your madness, that is."

"Look around you, Hiashi. It was only a matter of time before Konoha repaid our loyalty with the ultimate betrayal. Civilians and shinobi alike have already taken to blaming us for the storm that destroyed our village just because we suffered the fewest losses. They are already making us into a scapegoat. If we do not take action now, our annihilation is assured!"

Ino had heard enough of Hoshu's drivel and stomped forward, spitting on Hoshu's cheek. "You're fucking insane!" she shouted at the elder.

Hoshu only showed a brief moment of surprise from her assault before recomposing himself and frowning at the blonde. "Yamanaka-san. My condolences go to you for the loss of your father. He was a good man." He walked towards her and looked over closely, as though trying to peer into her mind and soul, and sighed deeply. "Unfortunately, Inoichi-san shared several flaws with my son. It is a relief and a mercy that he did not have to live to see this."

Ino's face twisted in fury towards Hoshu. "Do you even know why Papa is dead? Have you any idea what happened to the rest of the village while you were so busy plotting your damn war?"

"War is such a nasty word to use, Yamanaka-san. I am simply doing what must be done to save the clan and the village."

"How, pray tell, is that supposed to work? If you keep going on like this, there won't be anyone or anything left in the village to save!"

"You refer to the demon. Yes, I am aware of the current intelligence on it as well as the rumors surrounding it. It is of no matter. The Hyūga Clan will properly address and eliminate the threat," Hoshu promised, turning away from Ino and towards Naruto as he finished.

The very unsubtle movement from him set off everything Ino was trying to keep suppressed for Yuzuki's sake. Her next response to the elder was one she would regret for the rest of her life.

"Ino, don't say it!" Tenten cried out in vain, knowing what Ino was about to say. But Ino's mind was so clouded by her increasing resentment towards Naruto, she honestly believed at the time that she was doing the right thing by exposing the forbidden truth as a last-ditch effort to prevent a civil war from tearing apart what was left of the village.

"You can't beat that demon like that because he _is_ Naruto!" Ino yelled out towards the entire crowd. In that same instant, the entire district turned silent from the sheer horror of what she revealed, a horror that only Ino was capable of showing on her face.

"That thing was the Nine-Tails child?" one shinobi from the task force Shikaku assembled at Hiashi's beckoning to pacify the Hyūga district whispered.

"It makes sense. He already destroyed our village once before then," another shinobi, also not a Hyūga, whispered.

"I knew it. Sandaime-sama should have killed the child the day he was born," came a third accusatory whisper from somewhere else in the crowd.

Ino didn't even notice when Shikamaru and the rest of her teammates finally arrived at the scene. All she could see at that moment was the look of devastation and betrayal on Naruto's face as all eyes turned to him. It was a look she couldn't suffer.

Naruto, on his end, didn't see Ino at all. He was overwhelmed by the contempt and disgust on the faces of nearly all who surrounded him. Their whispers echoed in his head, growing louder until they turned to shouts. They were the whispers people had directed towards him his entire life, a torment that hadn't ended until recently but was now renewed with a ferocity that struck him like a Chidori to the heart.

"No...don't look at me like that..." Naruto pleaded, but his words fell on deaf ears. He forced himself out of the crowd and ran towards the gates.

Hinata also pushed her way out, only hesitating just long enough to turn to Ino and whisper a tearful "How could you?" to the blonde before escaping to chase after Naruto.

Ino fell to her knees and wept bitterly.

x-x

The whispers from the crowd did not end when Naruto and Hinata ran away; on the contrary, they grew stronger, turning into chants. Both Hyūga and non-Hyūga, but mostly the latter, were forming into a new mob, one that was calling for the blood of the jinchūriki and one that would move to lynch him if they were not stopped immediately. Their shouts of "Kill the demon child!" and "He did this to us!" drowned out all other noise in the background.

Hiashi waited for just a few moments longer to analyze what had happened. His eyes scanned the crowd and their gaze rested on Ino, who was weeping over what she had done. He knew there was no reason for the Yamanaka heiress to have lied, since she was one of the few who had remained in the demon's presence. But fortuitously, her fellow victim Tenten remained silent on the matter.

He could not remain silent.

"That is quite enough!" Hiashi shouted over the crowd. His commanding tone managed to silence them for that moment and draw their attention back towards him and Hoshu.

"Do you now see that I am right, Hiashi?" Hoshu asked. "Both our clansmen and the other villagers have grown tired of their current leadership which have allowed our enemies to walk all over us, and even live among us."

Hiashi measured out several long seconds of silence as he contemplated the elder's words and how the elder would have them apply to the current attitudes of the villagers. "Is that what everyone here believes? That Naruto-san is our enemy?" he demanded of everyone in the district. As expected, many of them were murmuring an affirmative; they were all truly blinded by their hate and suffering. "I am _disappointed_ in all of you for dismissing the deeds Naruto-san has performed to prove himself to you."

"He hasn't done anything but cause us suffering!" someone from the crowd shouted back, and many others roared their agreement.

"Naruto-san is a shinobi of Konoha who has put his own life at risk on numerous occasions, as is expected out of all of us. He has done more than is expected of him, sacrificed more than anyone else. New Years Day was no different. When the traitor Danzō launched his _coup d'état,_ Naruto vehemently opposed him and was ready to make the ultimate sacrifice to ensure his plans for us did not come to fruition. And you still believe Naruto to be our enemy? Naruto is not the one who is unworthy of you. It is _all of you_ who are unworthy of _him."_ As powerful as his speech was, it did nothing to sway the crowd, whose chants calling for Naruto's death only grew louder. Hiashi shook his head and tried a different approach. If his second attempt did not work...

"Regardless of what you believe, there is no evidence to support Yamanaka's claim regarding the identity of the demon who attacked us. Her testimony itself is invalid on the grounds that it was made under duress." A statement which redirected the blame towards his father, since it was Hoshu who had prompted the tumultuous claim from Ino. The crowd began to quiet down, their chants reverting back to whispers as they tried to think of ways to produce evidence which would support Ino's claim.

"Furthermore, her claim is ludicrous when you consider the following. First, that there are eyewitness accounts which support the assertion that Naruto-san was accompanying my firstborn daughter that night. And second, Naruto-san is ranked as a genin who has failed two Chūnin Exams. Do you honestly expect that a genin is capable of using such a devastating jutsu?" Again, the only responses were whispers, though some of the more aggressive shinobi in the crowd were grumbling about being denied the right to show their 'evidence' to support their misguided beliefs.

"Regardless of this demon's identity, it and not Naruto is our common enemy, and you all saw what it is capable of doing," Hiashi continued as he turned back to face his father, keeping his voice loud to keep the mob silent. His expression turned grave as he addressed Hoshu directly, "You are wrong about the scale of this issue, _Oyaji._ It may not be a clan matter, but it is not a matter of mere village security either. While you attempt to enforce your brand of order over the chaos in these ruins, that demon is still out there, plotting to destroy the entire world." Now even the whispers were ceasing. Everyone was acutely focused on the Hyūga patriarch and awaiting the elder's reply to his speech.

"And you think yourself or Tsunade are capable of bringing such a demon down? After you yourself admitted to being vulnerable to manipulation, and tearing rifts between the members of your own clan? Or after Tsunade abandoned our village, only to return and then abandon us yet again in our darkest hour?" Hoshu asked in an accusing tone, raising an eyebrow at his son.

Hiashi stared at the elder, who he could no longer call his father, as he considered his answer. The Hyūga Clan were hardcore traditionalists, placing every possible emphasis on the need for discipline, and Hiashi had, for as long as he remembered, respected Hoshu for his upbringing. It was only now that he realized he had misplaced that respect. Hiashi sifted through his memories, going back to the earliest ones he could remember, and arrived at a new understanding of how and when everything went wrong. It was on his and his twin brother's sixth birthday. The application of the Caged Bird Cursed Seal had been delayed by three years, giving Hiashi and Hizashi three extra years of friendlier relations. But on that day, when the juinjutsu was applied to Hizashi, Hiashi's relationship with his twin brother had been tainted forever. Hizashi grew resentful of his place in the clan, being forced into servitude to the Main House simply because he had the misfortune of being born a few minutes after his twin. Hiashi had not been able to make amends with Hizashi, and had been denied opportunities to attempt it as he was trained to inherit the position of clan head. Hizashi's hatred towards him and the rest of the Main House had grown so strong that just days before his death, Hizashi had displayed an intent to murder Hinata, which Hiashi had no choice but to punish by activating his juinjutsu, reminding him that such incidents would not be tolerated. Even when Hizashi had willingly sacrificed himself to protect Hiashi from the Fourth Raikage during the Hyūga Affair, the bond the two brothers once shared had not been mended.

 _'And to think that I almost made the same mistake with my own daughters, driving them apart as Hizashi and I were driven apart,'_ Hiashi lamented. Knowing how close he had come to walking that path made him that much more determined to not walk it.

"I am not fit to lead this clan or this village. Nor will I claim to know anyone who is qualified to accept such a task," Hiashi addressed the crowd. Then he unsheathed his katana and pointed it at Hoshu. "I will not lie. I have failed in every role entrusted to me. I failed as a clan head, I failed as a husband, I failed as a brother...but worst of all, I failed as a father."

Hiashi kept his katana pointed at Hoshu and showed nothing but contempt for the treasonous elder as the two stared each other down. Some of the other Hyūga were beginning to wonder if this clash between their patriarch and their elder would become a repeat of the incident with Tomi. Hoshu matched Hiashi's glare with a hardened expression in his faded eyes that was daring Hiashi to follow through with the perceived threat, for no other reason than to make himself into a martyr in the eyes of those who still believed Hiashi was an ineffective and now insane clan head. But as much as he was growing to despise Hoshu for what he'd wrought upon the clan, Hiashi did not answer that challenge. Instead, he continued to call out the elder on his failings, after having called himself out on the same.

"As for you, _Oyaji,_ your most relevant failing at this hour is the failure to acknowledge Tsunade-sama as our Hokage. Despite her own failings, she is still our leader. Your misplaced self-righteousness has made you forget this fact. The only issue of leadership we are legally permitted to resolve here is the issue of this clan's leadership, and to address that issue, I say this." Hiashi turned his katana downwards and drove it into the ground. "If anyone here thinks they are prepared to take on the burden of leading our clan against the demon and the other threats to our survival, then step forward and take this sword."

Nobody stepped forward, not even Hoshu. They were too stunned by the audacity of what Hiashi proposed, and what his proposal meant for the clan. Even if no one answered the call, Hiashi had torn down a massive barrier between the two houses of the Hyūga Clan, and now everyone still present was waiting with a mixture of expectancy and apprehensiveness to see what would come about as a result.

"So, Hiashi, you have proven our assessment of your recent actions was correct," Hoshu finally said. "You have lost your mind."

"We cannot save anyone if we cannot first save ourselves, _Oyaji._ The conflict between the Main House and Branch House has been destroying the Hyūga Clan for a long time. And our own actions have only led our clan further down this path, pushed us closer to that fate. After all of this, what right do we have to determine who holds the right and who is in the wrong?"

"The Branch House exists to protect the clan! This caste system is what has allowed the Hyūga to maintain their strength! Your insistence on changing the system will destroy everything we have fought to accomplish!"

Hiashi laughed bitterly at the sheer hypocrisy of the elder's words. "The Caged Bird Cursed Seal was not created to protect the clan as a whole. It was created to protect the Main House _from_ the Branch House. When our cousins, the Ōtsutsuki, had just engaged in this very same conflict, the Hyūga of that time feared that our Branch House would destroy them just as the Ōtsutsuki Clan's Branch House destroyed their Main House. Denying our enemies the secrets of our bloodline was just a pretense to justify the indentured servitude of a majority of our kin."

The clan head deliberately paused to give his words time to sink in. Most of the Hyūga, though they had no personal memory of the events, were aware of the self-destruction of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, though the argument between Hiashi and Hoshu ended up functioning as a history lesson to those outside the clan who had assembled to subdue the clan. The continued influx of new information served to keep them in compliance with Hiashi's demand for their obedience.

"And after everything that has happened, you still speak of accomplishments? All you have accomplished is our own demise. But if I must go to my grave tonight, I will at least make sure that the grudge held against us by the Branch House is finally put to rest."

The silence which fell upon the crowd grew stronger as Hoshu failed to deliver a comeback. All of the bystanders knew that behind his stoic expression, the elder was seething. Hoshu was appearing ever more to be the mad one of the pair; his raving was targeted to strike at the submission Hiashi had showed during his younger years, but now Hiashi was turning all those years back on him. It was the ultimate embarrassment for Hoshu. Never once had he thought his own son would betray him so thoroughly.

Finally, it all became too much for one very specific member of the Branch House to bear. Neji stepped forward, walking between the two men and lifting Hiashi's katana out of the ground.

"So it has come to this?" Hoshu asked of Neji. "Do you mean to take revenge for the sacrifice of your father, Neji?"

Neji scowled at his paternal grandfather but remained calm. "I'm not doing this for myself, or for the Branch House," he replied. Then he turned the hilt towards Hiashi and said, "I'm doing this for my uncle, because I choose to believe in him."

In an exceedingly rare moment, Hiashi was the one left speechless. His eyes widened and for the briefest moment, he looked ready to do something that was very unbecoming of a Hyūga. But he quickly rebuilt his composure and took the offered sword back from Neji, who turned back towards the crowd, but not without another important message for the clan head, and for him alone:

"Hinata-sama and Hanabi-sama also believe in you, Oji-sama. Even Naruto is starting to be won over."

Hiashi closed his eyes and nodded at Neji. When he opened them, his Byakugan was blazing, scanning everyone for any signs of further unrest, only to find that they had all completely lost the will to fight. His speech had successfully achieved his main objective, quelling the uprising with minimal casualties.

"If any of you cannot find it in yourselves to forgive what has been done, then take your hatred out on me, and me alone, when this is all over," Hiashi concluded his speech. He finally started walking away, approaching one specific group of shinobi who had been called upon for assistance.

"Hatake-san," the Hyūga clan head addressed Kakashi. "I believe the situation is now under control."

"Not quite. There are still two perpetrators who haven't been dealt with," the Copy Ninja corrected Hiashi while pulling his headband back down to cover his Sharingan. "You know what comes next," he added as he walked towards Hoshu, who sighed deeply as he faced his fate.

"All of us must face judgment for our sins sooner or later," Hoshu said wearily. "I suppose that my punishment came sooner."

"Just be thankful that not all of your sins were passed down to your sons, Hoshu," Kakashi said sternly. He then took a set of chakra-suppressing handcuffs out of his flak jacket and slapped them on the Hyūga elder's wrists. "For your crime of high treason, you are hereby placed under arrest and will be turned over to the Torture and Interrogation Force. Your sentence will be decided and carried out after Hokage-sama returns to Konoha. Anbu, take this scumbag away." Two Anbu emerged from the dispersing crowd and gripped Hoshu's shoulders, marching him out of the compound. As they did, they went past Hiashi, and they stopped just long enough to permit Hoshu one last exchange with his son.

"I know you will find no consolation in my final words to you," Hoshu said. "But though I never showed it, I did love you and your brother."

"Obviously you didn't love us enough to save us from our fate," Hiashi coldly replied. Hoshu let out a hollow laugh.

"Perhaps that was my greatest sin...one made more damning by the truth that it was passed down to almost the entire clan. It seems that only Hinata was born with the strength to redeem the clan from that sin. I always believed that made her the weakest Hyūga to ever live. But now I realize my error. If I never get a chance to see my granddaughter again, make sure you tell her that. Tell her that I admit I was wrong about her, Hiashi."

"In due time, _Oyaji._ In due time."

Hoshu nodded and was taken away. However, while the other shinobi had started to leave, Kakashi was walking towards the second offender, who was still weeping bitterly over her transgression.

"Ino Yamanaka," Kakashi said, yanking Ino's wrist and forcing her to her feet. "You were given very specific orders by Hokage-sama to keep silent about what you overheard in my debriefing a few hours earlier. Orders which you violated in the worst possible way. For your offense, I will be personally turning you over to Ibiki Morino for interrogation. Your sentencing will also take place after Hokage-sama returns from the Five Kage Summit." He took out a second set of handcuffs and slapped them on Ino's wrists, then marched her out of the Hyūga district towards the Intelligence Division, flanked by two more Anbu.

Those who were left in the district were appropriately morose. There was no cause for them to celebrate the fact that they had narrowly avoided a civil war. There was only the wait for the next series of unfortunate events to befall them.

As they started dispersing, returning to their homes or wherever their duties required them to be, Hiashi was left standing alone in the empty courtyard. His physical stamina and mental fortitude had been stretched to their limits tonight and he could not conceal his exhaustion from anyone. He placed his katana back in its sheath and slowly walked back towards his private chambers, using the katana as a walking stick for support. When he made it to the door of his chambers, he slipped and fell forward. But he never crashed into the floor. Hiashi felt someone grab his arm to stop his fall, and looked up to see that Kō was _still_ at the compound.

"Kō-san," Hiashi addressed Kō with no small amount of disapproval. "You completely failed to obey my instructions this evening."

"You should be grateful for that, Hiashi-sama," Kō responded. "Or would you rather that I had let you get killed, and then tried to figure out how to explain _that_ failing to Hinata-sama?"

Hiashi laughed while Kō helped him walk inside his chambers. "She would get over it quickly enough."

"I must disagree, sir. You underestimate your daughter's capacity for forgiveness. You underestimate how important you still are to her."

"Which is all the more reason to be thankful that she is free from the burdens that would have been placed on her had she kept her former position. Even if that came about as a result of everything in our clan continuing to go wrong."

"If I may be so bold, sir," Kō requested. "I believe Hinata-sama is actually grateful for all that you have done for her."

"How so?" Hiashi asked, genuinely confused.

"Hinata-sama would never have met and bonded with Naruto-san if it wasn't for your treatment of her. As much as you feel Hinata-sama should resent you for it, she doesn't. She will always be grateful."

Hiashi's eyes widened yet again, but he blinked several times and nodded at Kō. "Thank you, Kō-san." Before they arrived at his bedchambers, he lifted himself off of Kō and walked towards his desk to retrieve a scroll that had been delivered to him earlier in the evening. "Our intelligence network acquired some very important information recently regarding the activities of Orochimaru. A copy of the scroll has already been delivered to Jiraiya-sama. Read this scroll, and when you are finished, burn it and divulge its contents to Naruto-san."

"Hiashi-sama, after what happened out there I do not believe Naruto-san or Hinata-sama will be willing to return home so quickly."

"As much as I would like to give my daughter and future son-in-law time, it is the one luxury I cannot afford to provide to them right now. Once you read the scroll, you will understand why it is so important that they return immediately."

The grave tone in Hiashi's voice left Kō with only a few logical guesses about what could be so important that Hiashi was stressing this so much. "Is it about Sasuke?"

Hiashi nodded. "Just make sure Naruto doesn't attempt to do anything rash. I will speak with him and Hinata about this intel in the morning." Kō nodded and bowed to him before rushing out of the village to search for the pair.

Now alone in his chambers, Hiashi struggled to walk towards a special room which he allowed no others to see. This room was covered in seals which distorted the Byakugan's vision. In this room, Hiashi had built a small shrine to his deceased wife. He knelt down in front of the shrine, gazing upon the single picture he had of her that he could still bring himself to view. She was smiling in the picture. Perhaps now she would finally be smiling at him again from her place in the Pure Land.

That thought brought Hiashi to tears for the first time since she died, eight years ago.

"Tsuki...after all this time, have I finally done right by you?"

x-x

Naruto ran blindly through the night, eyes screwed shut but unable to stop his tears from falling. Even if he had kept them open and wasn't crying, it was so dark out that he wouldn't have been able to see where he was going. But that didn't matter to him. He didn't care where he went, just as long as he got away from Konoha, and from the source of his pain.

 _'I was fooling myself all along to think they would stop seeing me as a demon,'_ he thought bitterly, letting his flight instinct guide him through the forest. After those shinobi all revealed their true feelings towards him, he was seriously doubting that they would ever let go of that hate. _'They've always hated me. They'll never stop—'_

"Ow!" Naruto yelped after crashing face-first into the ground. He groaned in pain and pushed himself up, opening his eyes to see that he'd tripped over a fallen tree branch. He then looked around, trying to get a feel for his surroundings, and found himself in unfamiliar territory. _'I don't see any trails that lead back to the main road. I must be way outside the village by now. But it isn't far enough. It'll never be far enough away.'_ He brushed off his legs and started running again, still not caring where his feet took him as long as it wasn't back to the village. He couldn't go back, not after Ino coaxed everyone into exposing their true selves. But now that he had put some distance between the village and himself, he realized that he couldn't truly blame Ino. The blame for that incident rested solely with his dark side.

Dark Naruto had taken Ino, Tenten, Sakura-chan and Yuzuki-kā-chan from him. He had brought death and destruction upon Konoha and driven the survivors to madness. Then he had sent Ino and Tenten back, but only to send the village into deeper madness. _'But it was only a matter of time before_ this _happened,'_ he thought bitterly, pushing through thick foliage that blocked his path. The only comfort he could find was knowing that Sakura-chan was still with Yuzuki-kā-chan. The last time he saw his surrogate mother was in the demon's arms, left as a bloody and broken mess after her fight to save him and Hinata from Danzō. But he knew Sakura-chan wouldn't let anything else happen to Yuzuki-kā-chan. _'But now Sakura-chan knows that demon is me as well...'_

Naruto arrived at a small clearing and had to stop for a few minutes; even with his stamina, he was feeling winded after his desperate running. He sat down against a tree, his thoughts wandering off to the one other precious friend in his life who needed to return home.

"Sasuke...I wonder how you'd react if you knew about this darkness in me," he mused. He couldn't deny that his inner darkness had played a role in drawing him towards the wayward Uchiha. Sasuke was one of the few people Naruto knew who understood the pain of loneliness, having been alone for years since his brother killed off the rest of his clan, and had developed his own hatred towards the outside world. That darkness was why Naruto was so strongly driven to bring Sasuke back. He needed to save his friend before the darkness consumed him forever.

Now that he was taking the time to reflect on his promise to save Sasuke, Naruto recognized the irony in this cruel twist of fate. His quest to banish the darkness from his friend had only helped strengthen his own inner darkness. How could he expect to save Sasuke, or anyone else for that matter, if he couldn't even save himself?

"Naruto-kun?" that familiar gentle voice called out to him. Naruto sighed deeply; he should have figured out by now that no matter how far or how fast he ran, Hinata would always find him. And sure enough, Hinata appeared in the clearing a few seconds after her call.

"Hinata," Naruto answered the call in a weary tone. "So now you know."

"About what Ino said?" Hinata asked for clarification, trying to shed light on the matter of his inner darkness. "That was what you were trying to hide from me?"

Naruto nodded and started to turn away from her, unwilling to see the rejection he expected to find on her face. "It's okay if you decide to leave me, Hinata. You don't have to be around me anymore. I'll only end up hurting you since no one will ever trust me again."

Hinata knelt down in front of Naruto and tried to get him to look her in the eyes. He only reluctantly obeyed her wishes. "There you go again. Taking on all these burdens by yourself and pushing away everyone who tries to help."

"Well it's different now!" Naruto shouted. "Back then I just thought that I was angry, but it's worse than that! You saw it, Hinata! You saw what I become! And the worst part about it is that I did nothing to stop it!" He leaned back against the tree and averted his gaze, trying to hide his tears from Hinata. "I don't want to be that thing, but maybe it's too late. Maybe I already am. Back in Tsunade-bā-chan's office, when she told me to tell her about my fight in the desert, I lied and said I didn't remember, but the truth is, I remember everything. I remember mutilating that silver-haired freak who tried to kill you after you fainted. I remember staring down his freakier partner. I remember that I was gonna do something horrible to Fū. And we both remember what happened to the village just three nights ago. Everything gets destroyed because of what I become in the future. I might not be a monster to you, Hinata, but the truth is, I'm something that's even worse than a monster...

"So please, Hinata," Naruto finished his anguished plea to her. "I'm begging you for your sake to stay away from me!"

 _Smack!_ Naruto's eyes widened as he felt the sting of Hinata's hand against his cheek for the third time, but unlike the first two times, there was no anger in the slap, just sadness. Hinata kept her hand pressed to Naruto's cheek, giving him _that_ look, and it tore at his tormented soul to know that she not only refused to leave him, she would still lecture him for trying to run away and refusing to trust in her.

"How could you ask that of me, Naruto-kun? What gives you the right to say that?" Hinata chided Naruto. "Do _you_ remember what I told you? When we watched the fireworks together on New Years, I told you that it's my choice to be with you, to walk beside you and hold your hand. I told you that I could handle everything you did to me, as long as you don't leave me. And when you broke down in my arms at your apartment yesterday, I told you that I would never leave you. So don't you dare ask me to go back on my word."

"But Hinata, I—"

"No!" Hinata loudly, vehemently denied his protests. "Listen to me, Naruto-kun. Did you really think I didn't know that demon wasn't you?"

Naruto's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at that question. "You knew? This whole time, you _knew?"_ he almost yelled.

Hinata responded to his accusation with a firm nod. "The only reason I didn't tell you before is because you would have done the same thing you're trying to do now. I need you to trust me. And I need you to stop lying to me. You may believe that lying to me will protect me, but that is the worst lie you can possibly tell me, Naruto-kun. Keeping all of this bottled up does nothing to protect you, me, or any of our friends."

"It doesn't matter now," Naruto said, sounding like he was just dismissing Hinata's lecture, but before she could reprimand him again, he continued, "Everyone back in the village hates me again and I doubt that I'll ever win their trust back..."

There was nothing Hinata could say in response to that. She knew Naruto had struggled his entire life to get through to the villagers and make them see him in a better light. But with this newest revelation, Hinata's faith in the villagers was shaken. She had every reason to doubt that even Naruto, with his heart of gold, could get through to them a second time.

Hinata sat down on Naruto's lap and buried her face in the spot where his neck and shoulder met. How was she supposed to even begin answering that? How could she mend the wound to his heart when every thought of the torment which awaited him in the village tore it open again? Silence would not provide her with the means to stitch his wounds shut, but she could not find the words which would start the healing process.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked, voice shaky. Hinata's head shot up, putting their faces just a few centimeters apart. "How did you know it was me?"

Hinata sighed deeply and ran a hand through Naruto's hair. "It wasn't that difficult to figure out," she explained. "He chose to protect me when he had no logical reason to do so. There are only a few people alive who are willing to do that for me, Naruto-kun. Also, there was something familiar about him. Something he buried deep, but not deeply enough, at least not at the time. Both the feeling itself and the lengths he went to bury it...they reminded me of you."

"Yeah...I guess..." Naruto turned away instinctively, still not wishing for Hinata to see how he was hurting. Her words brought both greater pain, but also a faint glimmer of hope for him to grasp. _'If Hinata's right, then maybe that means he won't hurt Yuzuki-kā-chan,'_ he thought. He turned back towards Hinata, trying to search through both her feelings and his own. _'But it doesn't look like Hinata knows that she and Yuzuki-kā-chan are the same person. Should I tell her?'_

He did not get a chance to answer that internal question. He heard rustling in the foliage which put both him and Hinata on high alert. Both of them stood abruptly, the latter activating her Byakugan while the former gripped her hand.

"Who is it?" Naruto asked.

"It's Kō-san," Hinata answered, deactivating her dōjutsu and breathing a deep sigh of relief. "And he's unharmed."

"The one time you follow instructions, you're not actually following instructions," Kō grumbled as he stepped into the clearing. "It hasn't even been two days since you moved in with us and you're already rubbing off on me, Naruto-san." Naruto, despite all the turmoil he was still in, could not help but snicker at Kō after he said that.

"Anyway, Hiashi-sama has managed to contain the situation and things should be returning to normal, or what passes for normal right now," Kō continued. "However, Hoshu has been charged with high treason and has been handed over to the Torture and Interrogation Force, where he will await a military trial when Hokage-sama returns."

Naruto gently nudged Hinata and whispered in her ear, "Told ya your dad was too stubborn to let them do as they please."

"I do not think Chichi-ue would take that as a compliment, Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered back.

"Hiashi-sama has also managed to silence those who are pushing to have you publicly executed, at least for now," Kō continued. "He claims that the testimony given by Yamanaka alone cannot be used as evidence against you. Without any physical proof to support her claim, they can do nothing."

"That's wonderful!" Hinata exclaimed. But Kō quickly deflated her:

"Do not get your hopes up, Hinata-sama. The villagers cannot openly express their hatred towards Naruto-san, but there is no way to force them to cease their silent resentment."

"It figures..." Naruto muttered in a low pitch.

"Furthermore, because she made that claim Yamanaka has been arrested for espionage and is also awaiting trial," Kō added, making Hinata gasp. "Even though she was a victim of the demon, she still made herself into a villain this evening. I do not expect Hokage-sama to show leniency towards her due to her ordeals." Hinata was now shaking a little from the severity of the response to Ino's wrongdoing, and Naruto was outright horrified that she was being punished.

"They can't do that to her! Why are they doing that?" Naruto shouted, as though he had already forgotten that Ino had hurt him.

Kō shook his head. _'Your compassion amazes me, Naruto. Even after Yamanaka publicly denounced you, you still care more about her well being than the pain she caused you. It is by far your most admirable trait.'_ "From what I overheard, the information Yamanaka distributed to the crowd was highly classified. Even though you have already forgiven her for her transgression, Naruto-san, espionage is a serious crime. There is nothing anyone can do for her until Hokage-sama passes judgment."

"But it wasn't true!" Naruto blatantly lied, still trying to convince Kō to do something to defend Ino.

"Not all classified information distributed to individuals is true. In fact, a lot of the information that is handed out is untrue. False flag operations are a common tactic used by the intelligence divisions of major political entities, both shinobi and civilian, as a method of misleading and confusing their enemies. All you need to know is that Hokage-sama forbade Yamanaka from using the information that was given to her. It doesn't matter how trivial your knowledge is; if the Hokage decrees that you are forbidden to say it, you do not disobey that order."

"But—"

"Is there anything we can do for Ino-san?" Hinata asked.

Kō shook his head. "Yamanaka is already punishing herself a great deal with the guilt she feels over betraying Naruto-san. I'll bring this up to Hiashi-sama when the opportunity arises and we'll see then if there's anything we can do for her. But you need to understand that when Yamanaka said those words, she committed a crime that is punishable by death, and the law does not know anything of forgiveness. Given her recent line of decisions, it is unlikely that Hokage-sama can be persuaded to show leniency towards Yamanaka. So I will advise you again, do not get your hopes up." Naruto groaned and sunk into himself. He wasn't close to Ino at all; he mainly still found her annoying, but she was one of Hinata's friends, and that meant he had to do something to help her all the same. Even if that wasn't the case, it still wasn't fair for Ino to be the one who was getting punished for his dark half's crimes.

"But that is not the reason why I followed after you this soon," Kō continued, shifting uncomfortably as he watched Naruto sink into depression. "Something has come up and it is of the utmost importance that you return home immediately. You must believe me when I say that were it not for what I am about to say, Hiashi-sama would have given you all the time you need away from the village."

"What has happened, Kō-san?" Hinata asked.

Kō took a deep breath before answering, "Before I reveal this, you must swear that you will not attempt to do anything rash. That goes double for you, Naruto-san."

Naruto snapped out of his funk to glare at Kō, but the bodyguard met his glare with a stone cold expression that would have made even Hiashi appear lacking in emotional control (which was actually not all that difficult a feat to achieve considering that Hiashi had already let that control slip so much tonight). His glare went away and he frowned. "Fine. I swear I won't do anything rash," he said reluctantly.

"Very good. It seems that one of Orochimaru's hideouts has been located recently, and from the initial reports, there is a high likelihood that Sasuke Uchiha may be located at that hideout."

Before Kō finished speaking, Naruto was running back to the village, while Hinata struggled to keep up with his resolute pace.

x-x

 **Editor's Note: If the previous chapter did not show Naruto and Hinata, then it's only fitting that this chapter didn't show Dark Naruto or Yuzuki, yes?**

 **If the slight time skip in this chapter didn't make sense, go back and reread the previous chapter, which had to be edited in order to account for said skip.**

 **Speaking of edits, all of Chapters 4 through 19 had to be edited before this chapter was posted to fix a very big mistake that I cannot believe went unnoticed for over a year, a mistake that is solely my fault and not the author's. Specifically, the spelling of Yuzuki's name. The way I was originally spelling it in my revisions caused the meaning of the name to change to something that wasn't intended.**

 **That being said, I will honestly say that this is my least favorite chapter I've had to beta read so far. I think most of you who are still reading this story can see why without me needing to explain.**

 **Review Replies**

 **Ashamaphone: The real kicker in the Tsunade issue is when you think about what Ino said in that same scene. How pointless is it for Tsunade to withhold this information from Naruto? How much of that information did Naruto already have?**

 **I can't really address the rest of the review because of the risk of giving spoilers, though I concur with your thoughts on how a temporary alliance between Akatsuki and Konoha to combat Dark Naruto is an extreme unlikelihood.**

 **Flameraven: Well, about the idiocy, we must remember that Kishimoto is quoted as saying he doesn't like smart characters, so is it any wonder that playing hot potato with the Idiot Ball is par for the course in canon, filler, and the fandom? Sometimes it feels like it's easier to name the characters who don't have a major "What An Idiot" moment in the source material or the animéadaptation. All of the members of Team Seven have plenty of stupid moments, but they're not alone here: Hiruzen, Minato, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Danzō, Itachi, Kabuto and Obito are among the worst offenders in terms of the impact their idiotic decisions had on the canon story, and if you factor in filler, even characters such as Yamato and** _ **Neji**_ **are not immune to being a dumbass, while Naruto (who is Flanderized by these fillers) and Tsunade have their idiocy taken Up To Eleven.**

 **A/N: Ah yes, the narrowly avoided civil war that seems to come up in a lot of fanfics. Yet who would of thought Naruto's dark secret would come out like this? And why is he still hiding the truth of Yuzuki's identity from Hinata? Oh and look at that Sasuke is finally going to make an appearance soon. Seems like so long ago when we left him in chapter three, hanging by his own sword. Anyway I know my editor did not like this chapter so much but as I told him I will tell all of you this chapter is merely a means to an end so it was necessary to write it. What that end is though I cannot say. With that in mind please leave a review and criticize f you must but at least make it constructive.**


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